Lest Ye Become The Monster
by DemonHuntressL
Summary: Monsters & demons are an unfortunate danger in this world. They prey on the scared & defenseless. But Abel is neither. A self-proclaimed monster hunter, she seeks to understand the enemy to equip others to save themselves. But she may have to leave the East Blue to achieve this. Where will she find a crew crazy enough to carry her on her fool's errand? Possible future ZoroXOC.
1. Arrival at Labyrinthe Isle

**Hello everyone. Just some quick notes before I let you all get to the story. While this is the first chapter of my new series, I used to write fanfiction quite avidly. I've had an account here for a while, but I recently deleted my old story because I'd more or less given up on it & changed my username to have a brand new start. But it's been several years since I've written anything for the view of others, so any constructive advice you all can give on improving my writing is appreciated. And bonus points if you can guess the story I used to write (no cheating up looking up my email or anything).**

**Just a few housekeeping notes, I'm sure a lot of you have read these new-character stories before. The story won't be told exclusively from my OC's point of view, but it will focus on the story around her. If you're a fan of the show then I'm sure you're more concerned about the changes the OC brings than re-reading the story all over again if nothing changes. Also, while this will be closer to the manga version of One Piece, I may add things from the anime if I think the content interesting & suitable for the story. For example, I already plan to add the Warship Island arc because it fits with my OC.**

**I also don't know if I'll add any romance to the story. It'll depend on how the story develops as I write & what you guys think, so feel free to leave your input.**

**I think that's it for now, so enjoy the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or its character with the exception of my own original additions.**

**Warnings: none**

* * *

Monkey D. Luffy was many things. He was strong. He was energetic. He was charismatic. But what he was _not_ was a good planner. Luffy had a dream; a great dream. To become the Pirate King. But he wasn't quite so clear about the steps leading up to said goal. Sure, he knew what he wanted out of life. To travel the world, seeing all sorts of exciting things. To have grand adventures with his friends. To be free. But he wasn't so keen on making preparations for the journeys he was so eager to have. No, he was definitely more of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of guy. Leave it to luck.

That's probably how he found himself in the trouble he was in now. He had been so amped at obtaining his very first crewmate (making him an official pirate captain now) that he'd completely forgotten one very important thing for their journey: Food.

Yes, in all the excitement of having the legendary pirate hunter Roronoa Zoro - granted he'd only known about Zoro's legend when Coby told him about it earlier the same day - beating up that dishonorable Marine Captain Morgan & giving Coby a shot at getting into the Marines, it had completely skipped their minds to grab any provisions. Just a slight oversight. After having been treated to such a grand feast as what Rika's mom had given them, it was understandable that food was the last thing on their minds when they boarded their tiny boat.

Of course, that didn't stop either man from complaining about it.

"Ugh..." Zoro groaned, leaning back against the side of the boat. His neck craned back almost painfully as he glared up at the sky. The cheerful blue seemed to mock them. "I'm starving." He looked up at his new leader, who looked just as thrilled about their situation as he was if the way he leaned lifelessly against the boat was any indication. "Don't you think it's strange that you can't navigate?"

"No," Luffy replied easily. Perhaps a bit too easily… "Drifting has worked pretty well for me. What about you? You're supposed to be the holy terror of the seas!"

"I don't recall ever calling myself that," Zoro protested, propping his head up with his hand. His eyes glazed over as he lost himself in thought. "I followed a pirate I was after out to sea. But I couldn't find my way back to my village. So I made the best of things. I went after pirates that were in the area. I had to earn money somehow..."

"So you got lost?"

"You don't have to put it like that!" Zoro snapped before sighing in defeat. Both men were really in the same boat... literally & figuratively. "Anyway..." he breathed. "What kind of a pirate doesn't know how to navigate a ship? It's ridiculous! At this rate, we'll never make it to the Grand Line. We've got to recruit a navigator as soon as possible."

"And we need a cook, and a musician, and-" Luffy began happily counting off all the "necessary" positions.

Zoro nearly popped a gasket. "Those can wait!"

There probably would've been more arguing if the two hadn't lacked the energy to go on. "I'm starving!" they both groaned as their stomachs rumbled loudly. They slumped down on the deck. Hopefully they would find something soon.

Neither was sure how long they lay there, staring at the sky while the wind blew their little ship wherever it desired, but eventually both drifted to sleep. When you're hungry and trapped on a ship, it's not like you can do much else. But the sounds of seagulls squawking loudly overhead roused Zoro. Shielding his eyes from the midday sun, he observed a flock of the noisy creatures swarming above them. With mild disinterest, he watched them swoop and dive down into the water, no doubt hunting for fish. Grumbling about how unfair it was that stupid birds could catch food when they couldn't, Zoro turned on his side, pillowing his head with his arm. Just as he was about the close his eyes to get some more sleep (to conserve resources, of course), he noticed something in the distance. A flash of green against the backdrop of blue. Zoro's eyes shot open and he sat up. There, only a few leagues away from them, was land. And even better, there was a large town along the shore.

Zoro grinned at their luck. "Luffy! Wake up!" Said rubber man groaned slightly, but made no other move to awaken. Zoro shook his shoulder vigorously. "Luffy!" he called again. The shaking seemed to work, and Luffy blinked up at the swordsman. He woke up a bit more when he noticed the grin on Zoro's face. "Look! Land!" Zoro eagerly pointed to the town.

Upon hearing this, Luffy sat up like a bolt, eyes wide as he beheld the most beautiful sight in the world - at least to two starving men. There was indeed a town in the distance. A huge grin stretched across Luffy's face. "Wa-hoo!" he shouted excitedly, almost jumping for joy. "Land! Food!" Gaining a sudden boost of energy from the promise of a good meal, Luffy scooped up the two oars and began rowing like a man possessed.

He propelled the ship so quickly, in fact, that Zoro's body jerked forward, almost braining him on the hull. Zoro scowled slightly, but didn't smack Luffy on the head like he probably deserved. The promise of food had him in too good a mood.

* * *

Thanks to Luffy's exuberant rowing, it didn't take the two long to moor their little boat at the harbor. Luffy was so giddy with excitement that he had a hard time concentrating on tying the boat up. Zoro had to snap at him a few times to calm him down so he could tie a half-decent knot. With that out of the way, Luffy was free to observe the town. It was a fairly large town, from what Luffy could see of it. If the amount of activity at the harbor was any indication, it seemed to have a bustling economy. Well-maintained cobblestone streets wound a path between old buildings made from dark masonry bricks. But oddly, there were large portions of the buildings that looked recent. Not like new buildings, but like repairs to whole sections of buildings had to be made frequently. The newer portions were obvious, the lighter and smoother stones standing out in sharp contrast to the more weathered stones around them. In fact, some buildings seemed to be in the process of being repaired, with wooden scaffolds lining the sides of the streets. But the seemingly constant repair didn't discourage people from bustling about town. Dozens of people were about, either working on construction or carrying about daily business.

"Alright!" Luffy exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "First, we eat! Then, we explore!" And before Zoro could protest, he went barreling through the town.

"Luffy! Wait!" Zoro had no choice but to give chase. But it was no easy task to keep up with his captain when he had food on his mind.

Unaware (or perhaps just unconcerned) that he was leaving his firstmate behind, Luffy ran through the streets. The buildings and people blurred past his vision. Fortunately, most people were able to get out of the way before being stampeded. Luffy had absolutely no idea where he was going. He was simply running through the streets, letting his nose guide him. 'Food, food, food, food...' Luffy mentally chanted like a mantra. Just then, the particularly succulent aroma of barbecuing pork reached his nose. Luffy inhaled deeply. "Food!" he shouted, practically drooling.

There, near the far end of the street, was a cozy little restaurant. By the entrance there was simply a sign with a pig with an apple in its mouth. It was a good bit smaller than the buildings surrounding it. It was only two stories. On the roof, Luffy could see a smoke stack with dark smoke rolling out. And it was from this smoke that the delicious smell was coming from. Luffy took another deep breath. It smelled so good. Grinning like a madman, Luffy plowed into the restaurant. And not figuratively. He just ran straight into the door, going beyond knocking the door of its hinges, bringing the whole frame in with him.

The waitress and owner of the restaurant, a plump, middle-aged woman with her blond hair up in a bun, gawked at the scene. She was unsure how to respond. She could only glance from where the door used to be to the boy sitting enthusiastically and innocently at her bar. Based on the expression on his face, he had no idea the sort of damage he'd just done.

"I'll have three orders of whatever smells so good!" the boy exclaimed, smiling warmly at the waitress. She was too stunned to do anything but nod and head to the back to retrieve his order.

Zoro found his captain already stuffing his face with (what admittedly looked tasty) barbecued pork. "You could've waited for me, Luffy," he scolded as he sat next to Luffy at the bar. In truth, Zoro had quickly lost sight of his captain as he went barreling through town. It wasn't until he heard the tell-tale sound of destruction that he was able to get back on track. Zoro may not have known Luffy for more than a few days, but it was quickly becoming apparent that the younger man had a natural penchant for destruction - especially when hungry. 'What have I gotten myself into?' he thought, not for the first time.

"Oh, Zoro!" Luffy managed around a huge chunk of meat. He took a second to swallow. "Sorry, but you were too slow. And this meat smelled sooo good."

Zoro glared at the boy, but figured it was pointless trying to argue. Instead, he went about flagging the waitress down.

Or at least he would have, had a loud clanking sound not interrupted him. Zoro turned to face... well, the hole... to see what the commotion was. It was getting louder, indicating that the source was getting closer, and it had the distinct sound of metal. Instinctively Zoro's hand slid to his swords.

A man decked out in iron-plated armor came into view. Ever vigilant, Zoro assessed the man. The armor was made of several large plates of iron with chainmail around the joints to allow for some extra mobility. The armor covered all of his chest and back, with plates added to his shoulders, forearms, and legs. Based on the insignia carved into the chestplate, Zoro assumed this was a military uniform. But the obvious wear on the armor indicated that it wasn't just for show. The armor had saved this man's life more than once. At the distance between them, he couldn't be sure what the insignia was, but it looked a bit like a stag with a snake's tail rearing up on its hind legs,

As for the man himself, he had tanned and weathered skin, making it hard to tell his exact age. His black hair was cut in a simple short style. The stubble indicated he hadn't shaved this morning. And the girth of his chest suggested that the longsword at his side wasn't just an accessory. No, this man was clearly a soldier.

Zoro hadn't noticed any Marine presence on the island so far. There was no towering base like at the last island. So it made sense that there would be some sort of private military protecting it from pirates and other ne'er-do-well. As the soldier gaped at the hole, Zoro mentally sighed. He really hoped they weren't going to get into trouble this early. He hadn't even gotten anything to eat yet.

"Another attack? And so soon?" he soldier muttered to himself, catching Zoro's attention. Attack? The soldier looked at something out of view of the hole. "What do you think, Abel?"

"Not likely," a feminine voice answer. As the mystery person came into view to get a better look at the damage, Zoro got a good look at her. She wasn't wearing armor like the man, but her clothing did give an air some military authority. She wore a black, military-esque trench coat held closed by three gold buttons on the left side. It hugged tightly to her torso before sweeping out around her hips, hanging to just above her knees. The collar of the trench was turned down and Zoro could see a dark maroon scarf underneath. A pair of simple, dark-wash skinny jeans was tucked into knee-high black boots that laced up the front. And even though they had a slight heel, the fact it was a wedge made them seem more practical than most of the things Zoro saw women wearing. Despite the casual appearance, the outfit still gave the impression of being like a uniform. Zoro wondered if maybe she was an officer in whatever military this place had. Marine officers often wore clothing different from the uniforms of the regular rank-and-file.

The rest of her appearance seemed practical as well. Her hair was a sable color, medium brown with gray undertones, and was kept pretty short. She parted it on the left side, causing the majority of her bangs to swoop across her forehead and down the far corner of her eye, with both sides framing her face. A single strand broke off from the rest and fell along the bridge of her nose down past her cheekbone. Her hair was actually in two lengths: the back part was kept at hairline length while the front part was slightly longer, going down past her chin. Zoro couldn't see the rest of her features, as she was turned to face the hole, but he did notice she has slightly pale skin. Not deathly pale, but enough to indicate she didn't spend a lot of time in the sun.

Addressing the soldier, the woman, Abel, explained, "The basilisk would've made a more circular hole. And there's no exit." She turned to face the inside. "Plus, the fact that no one inside is a corpse or a statue is a dead giveaway." That last statement should've probably been sarcastic, but with the woman's tone it sounded like she was being serious. Large, keen hazel eyes (veering slightly more towards green) did a quick scan of the interior. Zoro noticed a scar on the right side of her mouth, clearly from where she's split both of her lips at some point in the past. She looked only a bit older than them, maybe in her early twenties. It was hard to tell with her jacket on, but she seemed to have a slender yet solid build. Zoro would guess she was roughly his height.

"Then what else could've done this?" the soldier asked, frowning. He clearly didn't like the idea that something unknown was causing trouble in his town.

"Oh, that was me."

The soldier, the woman and Zoro all snapped their heads around to stare at Luffy, who had just announced his guilt as casually as if he had told them what his favorite color was. Zoro sweatdropped, hoping Luffy hadn't just landed them in the big house.

"Oh?" Abel asked, not sounded angry or outraged or any of the things Zoro was expecting. Hands in her pockets, she took a few long strides over the bits of wood and stone on the floor. As she did, Zoro thought he saw a pair of leather straps on both of her thighs. They reminded him of gun holsters, but with the trench in the way he couldn't be sure.

Zoro and Luffy watched as the woman approached them, Zoro cautious and Luffy curious. Staring down at Luffy, Abel asked, "And why exactly did you feel so inclined to do such a thing?"

Luffy grinned cheekily, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, it was an accident. I was just so hungry, and the food here smelled so good." Zoro wanted to groan, but the woman just looked amused by his response.

"Abel." The woman turned her head to look at the soldier out of the corner of her eye. "What should we do? I'm pretty sure most of the town's repair funds have been used on the last attack."

Abel hummed in thought for a moment before turning to face the two men again. "Since you've been such an upstanding citizen so far, I'm sure you won't mind paying for the damage you caused." It was a statement, not a question.

"Sure!" Luffy agreed. "But we don't really have a lot of money." It was true. Between the two of them, they'd probably be lucky if they had enough to pay for Luffy's stomach.

The corner of Abel's mouth twitched up into a full-blown grin. Again, not the reaction Zoro was expecting. "Then I guess you'll just have to work for Mrs. Min until you've paid her back."

"Sure!" Luffy happily agreed again. Zoro face-palmed, drawing a chuckle out of the woman. At the sound, he glowered at her between his fingers, but she still seemed unaffected.

Instead, she asked, "Since that's settled, why don't you boys tell me your names?"

Luffy grinned at her. "My name's Monkey D. Luffy, and this is Zoro!" He waved his hand towards Zoro before placing it down on the stool cushion. "And we're pirates!" A few of the patrons in the restaurant screamed and the soldier drew his sword, pointing it threateningly at the two pirates. Zoro drew one of his swords halfway, showing that he wasn't looking for trouble but he would defend himself.

However, both Luffy and Abel seemed unconcerned with the commotion. "Put that away, Evrett," Abel mildly chided, not even turning to face him.

The soldier, Evrett, looked confused. "But they're pirates."

"If they're going to so boldly announce what they are, then they either mean us no harm... or they're too stupid to be a real threat." All three men blinked a few times before realizing that there was some truth to her statement. With some reluctance, Evrett sheathed his sword, causing Zoro to do the same. Abel smiled, glad the situation had been defused. "Now then, Luffy the Pirate, what brings you to Labyrinthe Isle?"

Luffy's eyes started to sparkle, and Zoro already knew what he was about to say. He'd had the same look when he'd told him back in the Marine courtyard. "We're on our way to the Grand Line to find the One Piece."

More gasps all around, and he even got a reaction from Abel as her eyes widened slightly. "Really?" She sounded skeptical but at the same time admiring Luffy's enthusiasm. She glanced between the two men in front of her. "If this is all of your crew, then I'm guessing you're just started your journey." She tilted her head slightly, for the first time truly examining Luffy. He didn't look like much, yet... "But if you somehow convinced the Pirate Hunter to become a turncoat, then maybe you'll stand a chance. Provided you can convince enough people to join you on your foray."

Luffy stared up at Abel for a moment before deciding, "You talk weird."

She grinned. "Weird is a matter of perspective. For instance..." She glanced over her shoulder at the mess behind her. "I find it weird that a person would break a door down rather than just opening it as it was designed." Luffy laughed uproariously, clearly being entertained by this strange woman. Casting the duo one last grin, she turned to face Evrett, who'd been standing by looking very awkward. "If there's nothing else, I should get back home."

"Sorry for bringing you out here for nothing," Evrett apologized, bowing his head as if he expected to get slapped.

"Don't worry about it," Abel dismissed as she stretched over the debris again. "Better to be safe than sorry."

"Is the doctor any closer to developing an antivenom?"

"Mmm..." Abel didn't frown, but she didn't look pleased other. "There's not enough venom in the samples to really make a serum from." Evrett sighed dishearteningly. Abel looked down the street as she added, "The only way we'll be able to make a proper antivenom is if we get a fang from the beast, but it's too risky. Unless you'd like to volunteer to be an impromptu dentist."

Evrett sputtered in shock and outrage at the irreverent comment. "Don't be daft!" Huffily, the soldier stomped away, muttering something rude about crazy women.

With her job seemingly done, Abel began to walk away as well. "Hey!" Luffy called before she was out of sight. The woman turned to face them again. She didn't say anything (like a normal person would, Zoro thought) but her expression clearly showed she was waiting patiently for Luffy to continue. "You never told us your name."

The strange woman smiled. Bending at the waist, she gave a fluid and regal bow. "Bastion Abel, unofficial advisor of defense for this beleaguered town."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**Hope you guys enjoyed it. I won't make any promises about when the next update will be, but I'll try to work on the story a bit every day.**


	2. The Basilisk Appears

**I finished this chapter sooner than I expected. Once I got half way, things just kept flowing & I didn't want to stop. So enjoy.**

**Just a few quick notes. You may have noticed I updated some of the properties of my story. I've decided that there will probably be some romance to the story. But as I said before, my goal isn't to write a romance novel. It's to write a fun, interesting story with good characters. So if you're looking for pure romance, you should probably look elsewhere. I'm just using romantic relationships to enhance the overall story.**

**Alright, enough notes. Onward!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of the characters from it. I only own my original additions.**

**Warnings: Mild violence.**

* * *

"It's only me," Abel called as she entered her home. She wasn't sure if anyone was within earshot, but given some of the stuff that went on in her home it was always best not to surprise anyone. Things tended to blow up when that happened.

The Bastion family home was more like a fortified tower than a proper house. Crafted by her ancestors' own hands, it had been built from the same dark stone seen in the town's oldest buildings. Years had weathered the stone, and occasionally new mortar needed to be added to keep everything solid, but for the most part it looked like it had when it was first built. The base was in a rectangular shape and housed the main living areas: kitchen, dining room, family room, etc. The second floor started to come in at an angle, leading up to the tower that made up the third floor. The home had originally been designed as a sort of service depot, housing supplies and a small garrison, hence the unorthodox design. The top of the tower had once served as a lookout point, being able to view the majority of the town from the top of the hill it was situated on. It was thanks to years of re-purposing that the building had become a proper home. Ivy vines and honeysuckle grew up around the front door, and at some point more windows had been added around the back so it didn't feel like living in a bloody tomb.

"What did Evrett want?" a woman's voice called from the far end of the hall.

As she headed toward the back side of the house, Abel replied, "He thought the basilisk had attacked again." The blue carpet that covered the worn white stone floor muffled Abel's footsteps. Taking a right at the t-intersection at the far end of the house, Abel smiled at the familiar sight before her. Her mother sat at her workstation, hunched over some new invention, no doubt. She was more of a tinkerer than an engineer, but it was always interesting to see what new spin she could add to a familiar concept.

Bastion Sara was a woman in her mid-forties who Abel bore an obvious resemblance to. The two had the same sable hair, the same light skin and the same eyes, although Sara's eyes had more brown in them. Years of concentrating on minute details had formed thin lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth. The tools and metal bits scattered around the wooden table told Abel that her mother had been hard at work for some time. She was even if her "uniform," as the others called it: an oversized white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows (which always begged the question why not just wear a properly sized shirt), jean shorts and no shoes. Her sable hair, which normally hung down to her waist, was pulled up into a tight, methodical bun, with a white headband holding back any stray pieces to might have fallen into her face.

Watching as her mother picked up a small mallet and began pounding at some small gear, Abel continued, "Fortunately it was just some rowdy pirate." The absurdity of the statement struck her. She snorted derisively. "Just pirates... it's a sad statement on the situation when _pirates_ would be a better alternative."

Sara hummed in agreement, adjusting the arm of a retractable magnifying lens to better view her current project. Abel had no idea what she was working on. No one ever did until she'd finished. Calmly, Sara reassured, "But we'll endure. We always have."

"That's just it, isn't it?" Abel moved to one of the windows. She placed her hands on the open sill, leaning heavily against it as she gazed up at the mountains. Up there lay the bane of her existence. The source of both her greatest frustration and conviction. "We shouldn't just _endure_. We should be railing against them. Meeting them on equal footing and pushing them back. Not losing more and more of our homes and people each time." A slight frown tugged at Abel's lips.

"Be still," Sara answered. Gently. Urgently. She didn't like seeing a frown on her beloved daughter's face. She wanted her to be happy. That's all any parent wants for their children. "I know things have been harder for us since Caine left, but the future isn't so bleak as you imagine. So long as you, and your sister and brother continue to live and grow and understand, I know you'll find a way. Things may never be perfect, but you're still making a difference."

Abel silently absorbed her mother's words. She knew she was right. Plans were all well and good, but life can only be lived one moment at time. Abel took a deep breath, held it for moment, then let it out slowly. She could feel the tension leaving her body. 'Channel it into something productive,' she told herself. Anger was only good if you spurred you to action.

Straightening up, Abel asked, "Is dad down in the lab?"

"He went to the garrison with Adam earlier. Several men were poisoned in the last attack, and your father wanted to personally see to their recovery. I don't think he's made it back yet." Sara swore that man could be as single-minded as she was. Maybe that's why their marriage had lasted so long.

"Speaking of Adam..." Abel began. "What's crawled up his breeches and died recently?"

Sara sighed, turning back to her project. "You know your brother. He's moodier than a woman in her third trimester."

"True," Abel agreed. "But he's been unusually sullen lately. Normally when he's upset he just wanders around the house, ranting like a lunatic until he feels better. But he's been unnaturally quiet."

Sara hummed in thought before stating, "I'm sure he's just feeling more stressed than usual. He's so eager to prove himself in battle, yet the last attack went so poorly." Sara glanced over her shoulder, grinning cheekily at her daughter. "Besides, I think you hurt his pride. No man wants to be saved by his big sister."

"If it bothers him that badly, I'll be sure to inform him that he can have the alternative next time," Abel retorted, but both women knew it was an empty threat.

Feeling more settled, Abel headed out into the backyard. Her target was a storm cellar door in the ground a reasonable distance from house. Her father'd had it constructed early in his career. Being the town's primary doctor, he of course had an office in the house (it was actually opposite of Sara's work room) as well as a clinic in town that was more convenient for patients. He was very good at what he did, with a keen mind and a strong sense of compassion. The townsfolk had been sad when he entered semi-retirement, leaving the clinic to the doctors and nurses he'd trained over the years so he could focus on more experimental pursuits.

Abel pulled the heavy wooden doors open, and a rush of cold air greeted her. Her father liked to keep the lab cold. He said it was better for the chemicals stored there. The lanterns lining the walls were still lit, indicating that Abel's father didn't plan to be gone long. He'd have put them out otherwise. The short set of stairs down opened up into a spacious room, full of all the things anyone could think of to run experiments with. Ignoring the various test tubes her father had set up, Abel headed for the desk near the overflowing bookshelf. Papers were stacked a few feet high in a sort of organized mess. They surrounded a thick, dog-eared journal.

Approaching the desk, Abel glanced at a small portrait propped up against the wall at the back of the desk. A small smile pulled at her lips as she beheld the three happy faces in the photo. Well, two happy faces and one begrudging one. It was herself as a child, standing in between her two siblings; her sister Caine and her brother Adam. The Bastion Triplets. Caine was the oldest (only by a few seconds, but she always lorded it over their heads when it was convenient), with Abel in the middle and Adam as the youngest. Caine hadn't wanted to be in the photo, hence the scowl, and had only agreed because she never could deny her sister anything. As the youngest, Adam always acted like he had the most to prove, and had fiery temper. And Abel had always been in between them, trying to restore the peace. The photo had been taken years ago, back when they were five or six, if Abel recalled correctly. Back then, it really had been nearly impossible for people to tell them apart by appearances alone. They even dressed alike solely for the sake of confusing people. Of course, now that they were all older, they were easy to tell apart. But it was still abundantly obvious they were siblings.

Abel gazed longingly at the photo for a moment longer, remembering simpler, happier times. Before the triplets had taken up their fool's dream. But enough of that. There was work to be done. Taking a seat at the desk, Abel opened the journal while dragging several pages over to her. Notes and rough sketches of things most wouldn't believe existed littered the pages. But Abel needed to consolidate them into something useful. Something that would give them an edge.

* * *

"Why do you get the carry the food?" Luffy whined, pouting as he followed behind Zoro.

Zoro gave a snort, shifting the heavy brown paper bags in his grip. "Because you'll just eat them, and we're trying to pay _back_ our debt, not add to it."

True to their word, Luffy and Zoro had been working all day doing odd chores to pay back for the damage Luffy'd caused. It had been mostly manual labor stuff. They'd cleaned up the mess of debris in the restaurant, carried the building materials the workman would need to fix the hole (Luffy had offered to fix the hole, but Zoro quickly shot that idea down knowing that he'd just make things worse), scrubbed nearly the entire restaurant, and were currently bringing back a load of groceries Mrs. Mina had tasked them with getting. At first she seemed hesitant to let them out of her sight, though whether this was due to them being pirates or because of Luffy's initial destructive impression, no one could say. But after seeing how hard they were willing to work to pay back the debt, as well as Luffy's unflappably cheerful demeanor, she'd loosened up a bit. She'd even waived the fee for their lunch, which made Luffy very happy.

Quickly recovering from his disappointment, Luffy began humming to himself, glancing around the town and swinging his arms widely to some tune in his head. "Hey," he began suddenly. "Didn't you think that lady from before was funny?"

"Weird's more like it," Zoro replied, thinking back to their short conversation with Bastion Abel. Between her oddly formal yet natural way of speaking to her lack of reaction to Luffy's antics, he wasn't entirely sure what to make of her.

"Yeah!" Luffy laughed.

A loud noise interrupted the two, stopping both men in their tracks. Their heads jerked in the direction of the sound. It had sounded, not quite like an explosion, but as if something had broken through several stone walls. People began to screaming in the direction of the crash, near the outside perimeter of the town. People run past Zoro and Luffy, trying to get as far away from whatever made the sound as possible.

"Run!"

"It's the basilisk!"

"Head for the shelters!"

People began to pour into underground shelters that the pirates had noticed earlier but hadn't given any thought to. They'd just assumed they were cellars, but now it was clear they were more for protection.

Even over the chaos, the guys could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. More structures being damaged, followed by battle cries, likely from the guardsman rallying. And above it all, a loud, high-pitched hissing shriek. Luffy and Zoro shared a look before abandoning the bags and running towards the fighting.

"What's a basilisk?" Luffy asked as the two weaved between the throngs of people fleeing.

"No idea," Zoro replied, hands already reaching for his swords. "But it must be big if it's responsible for all the damage around here." Luffy nodded. Anything that could cause that much damage to sturdy stone buildings had to be big. He was certain they were in for a good fight.

The closer they got to the battle, the fewer people there were to get in their way. And the louder the sounds of battle became. They could hear the soldiers clanging around in their iron armor. Cries of pain and anger. That ungodly hissing sound.

Swinging around the corner of an alley and out to the town's outer perimeter, Luffy and Zoro had to stop short at the sight before them. Apparently "basilisk" was a fancy word for giant, hulking, monster snake. The basilisk was easily fifty feet long, and based on its girth alone could easily swallow two full-grown men at the same time. It had two different colored scales; the majority was a deep blue-green, while the ones along its underside were more of a sea-foam green. Numerous white and pink scars marred the scales all down the length of its body. It also had a plume of greenish-gray feathers around its neck.

"Whoa..." Luffy breathed, in awe of the creature.

"It's a monster," was the only way Zoro could describe it. He began drawing his swords.

The basilisk reared back, looming a good ten feet over the guards who scurried around it like ants. It let out a loud hiss, tongue flicking out over the row of fangs lining its mouth like daggers. The two front fangs were the longest, by far, nearly the length of a man's forearm. With a loud shriek, it lunged at the guards. They managed to jump out of the way, avoiding the fangs, but several were knocked off their feet. The basilisk crawled towards the closest man, shoving its face right in his. A look a panic cross the guard's face as his gaze met the beast's and then...nothing. The man froze. Not like one would in terror, but as if struck by complete rigamortis.

"You fools!" Evrett cried, gripping his longsword tightly in both hands. "Don't look in its eyes!"

But the warning came too late for the frozen guard. With his prey paralyzed, the basilisk reared back again, preparing for the kill.

Luffy and Zoro tensed, ready to leap the guards' aid against the monster. But someone beat them to it. With a mighty cry, a young man leapt on the monster's neck. He wielded a single-bladed katar in both hands, and he thrust them into the snake's scales. Unfortunately, they barely scratched them, leaving only a flesh wound.

"Those scales must be as hard as steel," Zoro mused. The guard had put all of his strength into that attack.

Even if the blow hadn't done any major damage, it had distracted the basilisk from the petrified guard, allowing some of the other men to drag him out of the way. It began swinging its head wildly, bucking like an angry bull. The man tried to hold on, but couldn't find purchase on the scales. One particularly violent buck sent him hurtling away... and right into Luffy. Both men fell to the ground, stunned for a moment. The guard recovered first, literally jumping to his feet. Shaking the cobwebs from his head, he rushed back to aid the other guards, who were trying to surround the basilisk while not looking at its face.

"You okay?" Zoro asked, noticing the odd look on Luffy's face.

Luffy blinked, as if realizing where he was again, before looking up at Zoro and asking, "Doesn't that guy look familiar?"

Zoro was about to retort that that was a stupid question to ask when there was a battle going on a few feet from them. But then he gave the guard a second glance and realized that he did look oddly familiar. He couldn't really place why, as he was positive he'd never met the man before. But there was something about the way he looked that reminded him of someone. Aside from the guard armor (minus the gloves) and the katars, the man had shaggy sable-colored hair that fell into his eyes. He looked a few years younger than most of the other guards, probably barely in his twenties.

"Yeah..." Zoro eventually agreed.

The familiar-unfamiliar guard charged at the basilisk again, coming around from behind and slicing into its tail. The snake let out an angry hiss and threw its body to the side. The guard hurtled over the tail, avoiding the attempt to knock him off his feet. But he didn't expect it when the end of its tail snapped back and coiled around his waist. He let out a startled cry as the basilisk lifted him up, drawing him near its massive maw. He struggled against the constricting hold, stabbing desperately at its tail to make it release him. But the snake was untroubled. He tried to look everywhere but at its face, not wanting to be paralyzed. Yet when he heard the snake's hiss, and saw its head quickly draw back out of his periphery, his head raised out of instinct. He faced the great beast, eyes climbing up to meet pupilless... glowing... yellow...

"Adam!"

An arrow pierced into one of the basilisk's eyes. It shrieked in pain, whipping its head around violently. The guard blinked, snapping out of his daze.

"Gum-Gum Pistol!"

A fist literally came flying out of nowhere, punching the basilisk in the throat. The force of the blow knocked the monster back, causing it to loosen its grip on the guard. He landed on the ground in a heap. The next thing he knew, a hand was pulling him to his feet. The guard looked up in surprise. It was the scrawny-looking boy he'd been thrown into a moment ago.

A few of the other guards around him started muttering. "Did you see that?"

"His arm stretched like rubber!"

But the straw-hatted lad seemed to pay no attention to them, as if he heard this frequently. Instead, both he and the green-haired swordsman were looking back towards the end of the street. In the direction that the arrow had come from. His hazel eyes looked up to meet two identical ones.

"Abel!"

Luffy and Zoro couldn't say they were surprised to see the woman here, with her title of advisor of defense or whatever it was. But what was surprising was the weapon she was holding. Zoro'd been slightly off when he thought she was carrying pistols. Instead, she held a one-handed, repeating crossbow. Zoro couldn't identify exactly what material it was made of, but frame looked like a combination of wood and a bronze colored metal. The handle looked like ivory with a few metal reinforcements. And there appeared to be a canister attached to the bottom of the stock which fed bolts into the firing pin without having to manually reload it after each shot. The length of the stock was longer than a pistol's by several inches.

"If you don't like me saving you, the perhaps you should stop putting yourself in situations that require saving," Abel commented with only a hint of smugness, keeping her crossbow aimed at the still-writhing monster. The guard Luffy'd helped, Adam, remained silent, only sending a slightly angry look her way. But the blush on his face said everything.

Luffy stared back and forth between the two before realization hit him. "You two are brother and sister aren't you?" Aside from the obvious gender difference, they looked nearly identical. This seemed to set Adam off, as he picked up his katars with a jerky motion and turned his back on the group.

The basilisk had recovered from its injury. If it was possible for a snake to seethe, then that was what this one was doing. The bolt protruded from its right eye. It straightened up, its plumes beginning to rustle noisily. Everyone tensed, unsure of what its next move would be but positive it wouldn't be pleasant. An enraged monster is a terrifying sight. The great snake then let out an ear-piercing cry. It was something that would've sounded more fitting coming from a giant bird than a snake. Those closest to the basilisk had to cover their ears, while even Abel and Zoro, the two farthest away, winced at the sound. It made their eardrums ring, even after the cry had stopped.

At first nothing happened, and they were beginning to think the cry had been little more than an angry taunt. Until dark shapes began to slither from the shadows.

Snakes. Dozens of them. They crawled from the alleyways and from under the various cluttered lining the streets. But not normal snakes. No, these snakes were almost solid black. They were so dark that they seemed to suck the light in, as if they were made from the shadows themselves. Green eyes gleamed wickedly from all corners of the darkness. They varied in size, but averaged about the size of a rattlesnake. The dark creatures seemed to converge on Abel's position. Clearly the basilisk intended for them to be its revenge on the one who'd wounded it.

Taking advantage of everyone's attention being on the smaller snakes, the basilisk lunged at the men in front of it. Adam and Luffy were taken off guard, but managed to stagger out the way in time to avoid having the massive weight of the snake crush them. Growling, Luffy threw another punch, hitting the snake squarely in the temple. This threw the snake sideways off-balance, and it rolled. Seizing the opportunity, Adam lunged in hopes that the monster's underside would be more vulnerable.

Abel hoped her brother would be okay, but she had her own problems to worry about with the encroaching swarm. Quickly drawing a second crossbow, identical to the first, from the other holster on her thigh, Abel took aim. She rained bolts at the snakes closest to her, preventing them from overtaking her at once. One by one, she pinned them to the ground, each bolt hitting its mark. The struck snakes dissipated into nothingness, leaving only a bolt sticking out of the pavement, further supporting the idea that they weren't natural.

Abel's dual crossbows gave her an edge in battle because she was capable of firing in two different directions at once, as well as the sheer numbers of bolts the repeater could launch. They were far faster than any pistol or rifle. Abel remained on the move, constantly whirling to see in all directions. But she didn't have eyes in the back of her head, so she didn't see a particularly large snake lunge at her neck from behind.

A hiss of pain and the feel of air being disturbed at her back was the only indication Abel had of what was going on behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she saw that the swordsman had cut down a few snakes before they were able to bite her.

Zoro quickly turned so that his back was to Abel's, standing with two of his swords in front of him. "Much appreciated," Abel thanked.

Zoro nodded to her before looking up at where Luffy and Adam were facing off against the basilisk. "Luffy, you take care of the big one. We'll handle these."

"Got it!" Luffy replied. "Let's do this, ya' overgrown purse!" Behind him, Zoro heard Abel chuckle at Luffy's taunt.

Abel and Zoro stood back-to-back against the army of snakes. They'd halted in their assault for a moment, realizing things wouldn't be as easy as when there was just one person. At once, a group lunged from both sides. Acting on instinct, Abel swung to the left while Zoro swung right. A few bolts and sword slashes took care of them, and then the fight was on. The snakes seem to move as one, rushing at the duo like black water. They had to constantly be on the move, changing positions to keep up with the tide. Zoro took care of the ones within striking distance while Abel picked off the ones at range.

Zoro found it surprisingly easy and exhilarating fighting back-to-back like this. It'd been a while since he'd fought beside someone. It should've been chaotic, but the two moved easily to compliment the other. If one shifted to the right, the other naturally to their right. To an outsider, it looked like the two had fought like that for years.

Luffy also had his hands full. He and the basilisk seemed to be evenly matched in terms of mobility. The snake's body winded and twisted in unnatural ways, but Luffy's rubber body followed easily. Remembering the warning from earlier, Luffy pushed the brim of his hat down to block out the top part of his vision. It made things a little more difficult when he had to judge its movements based on the movement of its neck. But his stretchy body dived and weaved away from the fangs. Luffy returned a few punches, but aside from knocking the basilisk around, the scales prevented him from doing any real damage.

Drawing up almost all of its body length, the basilisk lunged a Luffy, fangs poised. Luffy threw himself down just in time. The fangs grazed the top of his hat before hitting the pavement so hard the snake's fangs embedded in the pavement. When it pulled back, a large chunk of the ground came with it. Shaking its massive head to dislodge the pavement, the snake hissed angrily. It turned sharply, tail lashing out at Luffy. He jumped back, and was ready to return the favor when he landed. But it had been a feint. Clearly sensing the odds were not in his favor, the basilisk fled the town, heading up the forest that led up the mountains at a shocking speed for something that big. As it fled, the shadow snakes disappeared as well, practically melting into the ground. Zoro and Abel relaxed their stances, dropping their weapons to their sides.

"Quick! After it!" Adam shouted.

But his orders fell on deaf ears. There were too few uninjured guardsman left to pursue the beast. Nearly half of the men had either been petrified or poisoned. The others were busy caring for their injured comrades. Adam glowered angrily up the forest.

Abel walked over to where the basilisk had pulled up a chunk in the ground and examined it. There, embedded in the ground around the edge of the hole, was what she'd been looking for. A single, intact fang.

As she worked the fang out of the ground, Luffy trotted over to her with a grin on his face. "That was some amazing shooting!" he complimented.

"Thank you," Abel simply replied, standing up with her prize in hand. "Evrett," she called to the man. When he neared, she placed the fang gingerly in his hand. "Take this to my father. Hopefully the venom gland is intact to synthesize an anti-venom."

"Right," he said with a nod. He turned to face the remaining guardsman. "Listen up! Take the wounded up to the clinic. Sound the all-clear and check for any injured citizens."

"What are you doing!?" Adam shouted, enraged. Everyone turned to face the man. He was practically red in the face. "We've finally wounded the creature and you're just going to give up the hunt!? This is our best chance to finish it! If it makes it back to its lair, it won't attack again until it's healed up! We have to pursue it! Now!"

"There just aren't enough able men to give pursuit," Evrett rationally protested. "We can barely hurt it when we're at full strength. What could we possibly do to it with only a handful of men?"

Adam looked fit to explode. But instead of going off, he turned on his heel and began to stomp off in a hissy fit. "Then I'll chase it down myself."

"Because you were doing such a good job of that before."

Adam spun around so fast he should've gotten whiplash. His eyes burned into Abel. She could see a lot of thoughts pass through his mind, but he settled on, "I don't need to take this from you."

Abel was a bit surprised at the tight tone of his voice. He was way past any sort of angry she'd ever seen him before. And for the life of her, Abel couldn't understand why he was so mad. After nearly 22 years together, her attitude barely fazed him anymore. And she couldn't think of anything she'd done recently to upset him. One day he just got mad at her and never stopped. It was so strange. Adam always had a... dynamic personality, prone to mood swings, but there was always a cause.

So she tried to reason with him. "Going off half-cocked will only get us in more trouble. We have a chance of making a cure now. And like you said, it won't attack again until it's healed. That gives us time to regroup and be prepared for the next attack."

"Listen to your sister," Evrett urged.

"SHE'S NOT MY SISTER!"

A hush fell over the area. The guards looked shocked at the outburst. Usually the triplets were thick as thieves, despite their varied personalities. Luffy and Zoro weren't sure how to respond, simply stunned by the vehemence of his words. But Abel looked... sad. Not surprised. Not stunned. Just very sad. They could see it clearly in her eyes, even if her face remained neutral.

Adam glared at Abel, but now he looked more betrayed than angry. "Did you really think you could keep this from me? You've all been lying to me from the start." He looked down at his shoes. "I can understand that you didn't know in the beginning, but to try and leave me out of the loop after you found out..." He looked into Abel's eyes, hazel to hazel. He looked so lost. And for one of the few times in her life, Abel didn't know how to respond. Without another word, Adam turned away and disappeared around a corner.

A tense silence followed his departure. Abel seemed lost in thought, and no one else seemed to know how to broach the subject. Eventually, Evrett asked solemnly, "What's he talking about, Abel?"

"Such matters aren't meant to be discussed in public," she replied, not looking at him.

Before Evrett could press the matter, something bolted past the group. Stunned, they saw Adam galloping into the woods on a horse. "Adam!" Evrett shouted after him, but he was already gone.

Abel's mouth drew into a thin line. "You are so getting a stern talking to when I drag you home," she muttered before chasing after him on foot.

She was almost to the tree line when Luffy shouted, "Wait!" Pausing, Abel watched as the pirates ran after her. "We're coming with you."

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**The next chapter will probably finish this short arc up & then it'll pick up at the Versus Buggy arc.**


	3. To Cut Off a Snake's Head

**I got my first review last week. Yay! It's exciting seeing a new story get going.**

**Disclaimer: This story is purely for entertainment. I don't own One Piece or its characters. I only own my original additions.**

**Warning: Violence**

* * *

"So am I correct in assuming that what you did earlier was from a Devil Fruit?" Abel asked, not glancing back at the two boys following her.

"That's right," Luffy agreed, proudly. "I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit when I was a kid, and now I'm a rubber man."

"I see..."

"You don't seem all that surprised," Zoro noted, thinking back to his own reaction. He'd accused Luffy of being the son of the devil.

Abel cast him a wry glance. "My home is plagued by a giant demon snake and you're asking why I don't dismiss the concept of Devil Fruits as just a sailor's tale?"

Zoro blinked. "Uh..."

Seeing that Zoro didn't have a valid response, Abel continued, "Only a fool dismisses something just because they've never experienced it. I've spent most of my life learning about things that most people dismiss as legends and fairy tales. So I tend to take even the most outlandish stories with a grain of salt." If giant snakes existed, why couldn't fruits that give the people who eat them super powers?

The trio had been steadily making their way through the forest, up into the mountain that loomed over the town. To anyone unaware of the danger it housed, it would've looked majestic in the dying light of the day. But it only served as a reminder of the danger that lurked to those who'd lived there. Never knowing when and where the next attack would come. Had it not been for the guards protecting them from the worst of the danger, most of the inhabitants would've left a long time ago.

As they climbed higher, the fertile dirt began to give way to shale. "We're getting closer," Abel urged, breaking into a jog. The brittle rocks crumpled musically under her feet.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Zoro asked as he and Luffy followed close behind.

"To the Labyrinthe."

Luffy frowned in confusion. "I thought the island was called Labyrinthe."

"It is, but it was named that _because_ of the Labyrinthe," Abel explained. "It's the ruins of an ancient temple from the first people who inhabited this island. People started calling it the Labyrinthe because what's left of the structure looks like a maze." Abel's foot slipped slightly in the loose shale. "That's where the basilisk's nest is."

"If you know where it rests, why don't you all destroy it there?" Zoro asked.

"We_ have _tried," Abel admitted, frowning slightly. "But you've seen for yourself how resilient it is. Its hide is like metal. The best we've managed is to run it off. We've tried in the past to track it to its lair and collapse the tunnel in with explosives. But the ground is too unstable." She paused and picked up a handful of shale. She held the rocks out to the guys. Closing her fist, the shale crumpled into pieces and fell through her fingers as easily as sand. Shaking the rocks from her hand, Abel continued, "It always manages to make another tunnel." The shale that made up the majority of the ground around the mountain offered little resistance to the basilisk. Collapsing its current tunnel just delayed it for however long it took to dig another one.

"Where did it come from?" Luffy asked.

Turning back to face the top of the mountain, Abel continued on. But they had to go at a slower pace now, thanks to the shifting shale. It would be very easy to fall. "I can't say what its exact origins are, but I do know that the first people who lived here were cultists who worshipped an ancient snake god. And he wasn't the warm and fuzzy sort of god. The cultists practiced all sorts of nasty things: black magic, human sacrifices... all that good stuff. They believed that the snake god was one of wrath and destruction, so they did those things to appease it. Therefore, my guess is that the basilisk is either the cause of or the result of the cultists' worship."

"What d'you mean?" Luffy asked, getting confused again.

Abel thought for a moment how to word her research in a simple way. Eventually, she settled on, "Either the cult arrived here, saw the basilisk and viewed it as some sort of god; or their rituals somehow brought the basilisk into existence. I'm more inclined to believe the latter. Black magic and sacrifices never lead to anything good."

"It doesn't really matter where it came from," Zoro growled. "You don't have to understand it to kill it."

"Perhaps," Abel consented. "But knowing whether we're up against some sort of ancient entity or just a snake pumped full of magic can make a huge difference in how we approach it."

"Why would anyone live here in the first place?" Luffy asked.

"Because like all cults, they weren't willing to sacrifice their own people, so they lured people here with the town. You'd be forgiven for not knowing this, what with the pest problem and all, but this island has a lot of resources. In particular, the water surrounding us is rich with fish. So they lured people here and picked them off one-by-one. The sacrifices were either disguised as random animal attacks or they just disappeared altogether, so it took a while before people realized something wicked was afoot. That's where we came in."

"We?" both Zoro and Luffy asked in unison. They had to admit, Abel's story had their full attention.

"My ancestors were monster hunters," Abel continued, with more than a little pride. "They heard about what was going on here and came to investigate. The exact details are scarce, but it's clear that they destroyed the cult and tore their temple down. However, there's no mention of fighting any sort of snake-like creatures. In fact, the basilisk didn't start attacking until a few years ago. Up until that point, things were relatively peaceful here. My personal theory is that the evil that surrounds the Labyrinthe twisted the few animals that remained in the area. You'll see for yourself when we get there; that kind of wickedness has a way of poisoning everything. The basilisk probably started as small as a regular snake, but thanks to its powers it became the top predator. With no natural enemies, it could eat and grow in peace, until it became so big that animals couldn't satisfy its appetite. So it had to turn to larger prey."

"People," Zoro finished.

"Correct."

A silence fell over the group as the two pirates digested this. Ultimately, it didn't matter to them where the basilisk came from. Even if it were some sort of demon or deity, they would still kill it. But it was interesting to think about.

Spotting something in the distance, Luffy squinted his eyes. "Look!" he shouted, pointing at the figure.

It was the horse Adam had been riding. No doubt he left it here when the ground became too difficult for the horse to walk on. "We're almost there. Come on," Abel said, breaking into a run with the pirates close behind.

* * *

Even without knowing the evil that had occurred here, it was easy to tell that something was very wrong with the area making up the Labyrinthe. It was unnaturally silent, save for the whistling of the wind through the ruins. The air always felt heavy and cold. It weighed over you like a blanket. The remains of what was once a temple protruded from the ground as if they'd sprouted from the rocks. They gave the impression of a decayed skeleton. Tall pillars supporting nothing. Partial walls with carved murals and unreadable symbols. Jagged overhangs hovering precariously just overhead. It wasn't surprising that people quickly became paranoid here. Self-preservation starts kicking in, telling you that this a bad place and to get away.

A rock skittered down a broken wall, echoing unnaturally loudly in the open space. Adam whipped around, holding his katars defensively in front of him. He remained completely motionless for a tense moment. When he realized the sound had been nothing (or at least not the sound of a giant snake trying to sneak up on him), he lowered his weapons.

"What am I doing here?" he asked himself, not for the first time. He honestly didn't know why he'd charged off on his own like this. He knew his odds against the basilisk were slim. But he'd just been so angry at Abel and the rest. Not the first time his temper had gotten him in trouble. "But I can't go back now. I'll show them..."

Adam wasn't entirely sure how to find the basilisk. It wasn't usually a difficult thing, as it was typically tearing down the town. But it always fled when it was injured or when fighting was taking too much effort. Like most predators, the basilisk didn't want to expend too much energy just to eat when there was easier prey around. You wouldn't think something that size could hide so well. But no matter the size, it was still a snake. An ambush predator.

The only sounds Adam heard were his own footsteps as he searched the ruins. He didn't remember this place being as creepy the last time he'd visited. Of course, he refused to acknowledge that perhaps it wasn't as creepy because he'd had Caine and Abel with him. No, it had nothing to do with his not-sisters. It was just having other people with him. It was only because he knew he was alone. But Adam knew he wouldn't be getting any help this time. No not-sister showing up to save him. 'Not like I care,' Adam thought morosely.

Nearing the perimeter, Adam noted a small pool had formed, likely from some runoff further up the mountain. Staring down into the water, Adam considered his reflection. It wasn't the first time that he noted, in spite of the armor, he didn't look like how a monster hunter ought to. Sure, he knew how to use his katar. But in his mind, he was too skinny. He was practically swimming in the armor. He didn't have the same confident stance as Caine and Abel. He looked like a little kid trying to run after his two older sisters. 'Not sisters,' he told himself again, frowning deeply.

Adam stared at himself a little longer, when he noticed something appear in the reflection with him. He remained perfectly still, waiting. At first, he couldn't make it out. It was just a blurry figure in the water. But as it got closer, the image became clearer, and Adam's eyes got wider. The basilisk peered at him from behind. Adam remained riveted to where he stood, watching as the snake's head disappeared from the reflection. His body was tense, yet he couldn't seem to bring himself to look back. He knew the basilisk was still there. He could hear the hiss of it breathing behind him.

Before he could react, something struck Adam in the back, knocking him down. "Aahh!" Adam screamed as he fell face-first into the pool. Something landed on top of him, holding him down. He could hear the basilisk's cry. Not wanting to let the beast have time to finish him while he was down, Adam scrambled to turn over onto his back. But what he saw was not what he was expecting.

The basilisk was there, all right, but it wasn't what had knocked him down. Instead, it was Abel who was trapping him to the ground. She pushed his body to the ground with one hand while her other arm twisted behind her at an odd angle. Adam paled when he realized why: one of the basilisk's fangs protruded through her arm, exiting through her triceps just below where arm and shoulder meet. Its fang had gone completely through her arm. Although Abel's head was down, Adam could see the grimace on her face. "Abel..." he breathed, unsure of how else to react.

Abel raised her head. "Didn't I say if you wanted me to stop saving you then stop getting yourself in these situations?"

"Now's not the time to be deflecting!" Adam snapped. Abel gave a grin, but she couldn't hide the grimace. Adam couldn't comprehend why Abel had used her body as a shield for him.

She winced when the basilisk started pulling its head back. With the fang still in her arm, that meant it was taking her with it. Adam's eyes widened in horror as the beast pulled his sister off his body. "NO!" he shouted. He reached around for anything to use as a weapon, as he'd lost his katars when Abel knocked him down. His fist closed around a sharp piece of rock. With an enraged cry, Adam wrapped one arm around Abel's shoulders and jabbed the rock into the basilisk's remaining eye. The snake screamed, and thanks to Adam's extra weight Abel's arm slid down the fang. They both landed heavily in the water.

"Gum-Gum Whip!"

A long... leg?... whipped over their heads and slammed into the writhing snake, sending it flying into a chunk of ruins. From under Abel, Adam twisted his head around to see the two men from before quickly closing in. The basilisk let out a screech, turned, and smashed its head into the ground. Twisting its body, it quickly burrowed into the shale.

By the time Zoro and Luffy reached them, Abel was already sitting up and pressing a hand to her wounded arm. The two stood protectively over the siblings for a moment in case the basilisk tried a sneak attack. But when it didn't come back up, Luffy knelt to examine the wound. Blood soaked through Abel's black coat, flowing freely from the gaping wound. "Are you all right?" Luffy asked.

"Oh yeah," Abel ground out, applying more pressure to the wound. "Normally having teeth the size of a sword shoved through someone's arm would hurt. But I'm a masochist, so it just tickles a little."

Luffy stared at Abel for a moment, unsure of how to respond. All he managed was, "Really?"

Abel gave the straw-hatted boy a long look. "No. It feels like my arm's on fire."

"Oh..." Luffy sweatdropped. How was he supposed to know she was being sarcastic when she said it in such an even tone?

"What about the venom?" Zoro asked in concern.

Holding her arm out slightly, Abel replied, "I think I'll be okay. It's a through-and-through wound. I don't think the fang would've had time to inject any venom into my system." As her arm started to ache, she lowered it back to her side. "If not, then let's hope my dad got a jump on that anti-venom."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!?" Adam screamed at them, interrupting.

"Saving you, obviously," Luffy replied.

Adam glowered at the trio before glaring at the ground. "Why did you save me?" he asked in a whisper.

A long silence settled over them, with only the whistling wind in the background. Finally, Abel slowly asked, "What went through your mind when you stabbed the basilisk in the eye?"

Adam's head snapped up and he looked at Abel in surprise. His mouth hung open as he tried to think of the answer. 'What was I thinking about?' "Getting it to let you go," he answered at length.

"And?"

"That I couldn't believe you were stupid enough to do that."

"And?"

Adam looked frustrated then. "What do you mean, 'And?'!? That was it! I wasn't really thinking anything!"

"Exactly."

Abel's calm, self-assured answer halted any rant Adam may have been about to start. With everyone's attention on her, Abel began to explain. "You were thinking that someone you'd known for your entire life, someone you grew up with, someone you cared about, was in danger. Exact blood relation didn't matter." Her eyes pierced into Adam's. "I bet in that moment you still thought of me as your sister."

This gave Adam pause. For a second he wanted to deny it, but he knew it was true. When her life had been in danger, any thought of their actual familial relationship had gone out the window. All he'd thought about was how she was in trouble and needed him.

Seeing that Adam had realized this, Abel stood slowly. "That's why we never told you when they told us we weren't actually siblings. Not to be mean or to hide anything. It just never matter to us. It didn't change the way we thought of you. Who cares if we're just cousins? We grew up together. We played together. We've shed blood, sweat and tears together. That's good enough for me."

Adam started to tear up. Abel was right. It didn't matter that they weren't blood siblings. They'd been together their entire lives. And Caine and Abel had known they weren't siblings for years, yet not once had there ever been a time when Adam remembered them treating him any different from they always had. "I'm an idiot," Adam admitted.

"Yeah, you are," Abel agreed. "But I've come to expect that." Adam should've been mad, but it was hard to when Abel was grinning widely at him like that.

Luffy and Zoro, who'd been standing by quietly while the two talked, smiled. They might not understand everything that was going on, but they were glad to see that the two siblings/not-siblings had reconciled. "So what now?" Zoro asked, glancing at Luffy.

"Now..." Abel began, beginning to unbutton her coat with her good hand. "Adam is going to go back to town and let them know everything's okay, while the three of us finish the basilisk once and for all." With a flourish, Abel tossed the coat to the side. It was soaked with blood and water anyway.

The guys blinked. 'What is she wearing?'

They weren't really sure what they expected someone like Abel to be wearing under a military trench coat, but a corset was not at the top of the list. But sure enough, a black satin corset garbed her torso. Granted it did have six sets of bronze buttons connected with chains going down the front, like you'd see on a military outfit. Seemingly ignorant of their expressions, Abel unwound her scarf and wrapped it securely around her injury as a makeshift bandage. This revealed the strange garment she wore around her shoulders. It was a sort of modified one-shoulder sleeveless bolero (aka a shrug). It was made from the same fabric as the corset. It covered the right side of her chest and shoulder, looping under her arm and attaching into a choker around her neck. There was also a strap that went to the left, crossing her chest and back, under her right arm and buckling near her shoulder. Overall it didn't seem like the most practical outfit (of course what did the guys know about fashion) but it looked pretty badass, with this sort of steampunk/militant look. It also gave them a better view of what Abel looked like under that heavy coat. Her figure fit that of a ranger: long and slender. She wasn't overly buxom (although she did fill that corset out well), with a narrow waist and was wider around the hips. She had some solid-looking legs, and overall gave the appearance that she wouldn't shatter if you hit her.

Apparently this was normal attire for Abel, as her brother didn't bat an eyelash. "Didn't you say we should regroup rather than trying to finish it off?" he asked.

"I did," Abel agreed. "But the circumstances have changed." As she turned, Zoro noticed she had something attached to the back of her belt. He couldn't say what it was, other than a mess of molded black metal. "Now that both of its eyes are gone, it won't be able to paralyze us. I really do think now we have to finish it before it heals. When's the next time we'll get a chance like this?"

"But none of our attacks have worked so far," Luffy stated.

"True, but everything has a weakness. And I have a plan." Reaching around, Abel grabbed the mass of metal at her back and detached it from her belt. With a sharp flick of her wrist, the two largest pieces slid back, revealing it to be-

"A retractable bow!?" Luffy exclaimed, his eyes shining. Indeed, it was a compound bow where the limbs could retract towards the riser (the center part), thus allowing it to be more compactly carried. Luffy looked at Abel in awe. "You have the coolest stuff!"

Abel smirked as she strung the bow with practiced ease. "I'm glad you think so. Because my plan requires you to put your trust in my ability to use my 'cool stuff.'"

* * *

After filling the guys in on her plan, everyone took their positions. Adam, with much reluctance, agreed to go back to the town when Abel insisted their father should know that she may have been poisoned... just in case. Abel had perched herself on top of the sturdiest pillar she could find that gave a good view of what would soon become their arena. Luffy and Zoro remained on the ground near where the basilisk had disappeared. Luffy stood in view of Abel with his back to her, with specific instructions to try to remain in that line of sight. Zoro was off to the side, hopefully to aid in getting the basilisk where Abel needed it to be to finish it off.

Abel's arm throbbed as she pulled an arrow from the small, aged leather quiver attached to the back of her right hip. She hadn't been lying when she said she was sure she hadn't been poisoned, but her wound was still serious. Every little twitch of her arm sent another wave of hot, throbbing pain down to her fingertips. Her scarf already felt wet from soaking up the blood. But she had to push that to the side for now. Focus... Nocking the arrow, Abel drew the bowstring back to full, aimed in Luffy's direction, and nodded.

Luffy and Zoro, who'd been waiting for Abel's signal, nodded back. Zoro drew his swords, his bandana already in place, and Luffy cracked his knuckles. "HEY SNAKE!" Luffy screamed as loud as he could. He began punching the ground, sending bits of shale flying about. "COME ON OUT AND FACE ME!" Abel was banking on the basilisk's senses being more or less like a regular snake's. Despite being blind, it should be able to feel the vibrations through the ground. Hopefully it would still be enraged enough from its injuries to attack.

Luffy continued to shout and beat on the ground for a few moments, until the shale started to rattle. Both men prepared themselves. The rattling became louder and louder, until the snake burst forth in all of its hissing, angry glory. With both of its eyes damaged, they could look the snake square in the face this time without fear.

The basilisk's tongue flicked out, trying to smell them out. It turned its massive head in Zoro's direction and, with a great screech, lunged. Zoro met the snake, sword-to-fang. Zoro put all of his strength into his arms to keep the fangs away from his face. But the snake has size on its side. And with the slippery shale underfoot, Zoro felt himself sliding backwards.

But before he got pushed back too far... "Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy punched the snake in the temple again, knocking it to the side. "Why don't you fight me, ya' overgrown worm!?" Luffy taunted.

Clearly the basilisk recognized Luffy's voice, because it immediately forgot about Zoro and charged at Luffy. Watching from above, Abel readied herself. Her arm was starting to shake from the strain of holding the bow back, but she managed to keep her hands steady. 'Get ready,' she told herself.

The basilisk lunged towards Luffy, mouth open wide as it prepared to swallow him in one bite. "Not today, Snakey!" Leaping, Luffy grabbed the snake's upper jaw with both hands while firmly wedging his feet against the lower jaw. With all of his strength, Luffy pried the basilisk's mouth open as wide as possible. But keeping them open when the monster started flailing around was difficult.

The monster bucked and whipped around, trying to either throw Luffy off or throw him into its mouth. Abel concentrated, waiting for the best opening. She only had one shot. If she missed, the basilisk would probably realize their plan and either come after her or go back into hiding. And she certainly didn't want to shoot Luffy in the back.

Then, she saw her chance. If the snake came back around it would line up perfectly. She aimed at where the snake would be, took a deep breath and released the arrow. The arrow flew through the air with a piercing sound, flying a hair's breadth from Luffy's torso, into the basilisk's mouth and pierced into the roof. The basilisk sagged slightly, groaning in pain. "Now, Zoro!" Abel shouted.

He wasted no time. Zoro lunged with both swords out and sliced down, cutting the basilisk's neck right where the plume began. The swords cut through with surprising ease and the head detached from the body. Luffy was quick to disengage from the snake's mouth, landing safely a few feet away from where the massive skull landed. The body continued to twitch a bit longer before it too fell still.

Everyone stared at the basilisk in silence for a few moments, soaking in the fact that the beast was dead. And then... "WOOOOOOO!" Luffy cheered, throwing his arms in the air. Zoro smirked, pulling the bandana off. A grin split Abel's face as she collapsed her bow and hitched it to her belt.

"That was such a rush!" Luffy exclaimed. "Staring down into that snake's mouth! Knowing that I could die! And then you took him down with a single arrow!" Luffy practically beamed as Abel joined them on the ground.

"My guess what that, no matter how tough its exterior, its insides had to be as squishy as ours," Abel replied. She tapped her temple. "One shot, right through the brain."

Gazing up at the darkening sky, Zoro commented, "We should head back now. I'm sure everyone's worried."

But before they could do anything else, Abel walked forward until she was in front of the basilisk's head and sat down on her knees. "What's wrong, Abel?" Luffy asked as the guys came to stand on either side of her. "Is it your arm?"

"No..." Abel answered softly. She kept her eyes on the basilisk, staring into what was left of its eyes. Abel began to talk, almost in a whisper, as if she'd forgotten she wasn't alone. "I'm just... taking in the fact that we actually did it. Monster hunting is in my blood, and I've been training and studying for years but... this is the first time I've taken down something that I could unquestioningly call a monster. I _killed_ something that was bigger, stronger and older than me through cunning and strategy. I've strived for this moment, and I've always been confident in my abilities. But to have real proof..." Her eyes hardened, shining with resolution. "Now I know I can do this. I can go out and learn about these creatures that terrorize and prey on the weak. I can learn how to hunt them. I _am_ a Monster Hunter."

Seeming to come back to herself, Abel glanced back at the guys. "And I feel I should apologize to you two." Luffy and Zoro looked confused, unsure of what Abel had to apologize for. Continuing, "When we first met, I didn't think much of you. But now..." She gave them a lopsided grin. "Well, let's just say it was good thing to be wrong about." Luffy and Zoro returned her grin. It wasn't like they could blame her, given their first impression. It would probably be happening a lot.

Abel slapped her hands down on her thighs. "All right. Now we can go back." But as she stood, Abel staggered a little. Zoro and Luffy instantly moved in to help, but Abel managed to steady herself by placing her hand against Zoro's (very sturdy, she noticed) chest. Her head swam for a minute. After the bright lights went away, Abel commented, "Okay, that may have been from the blood loss," in perhaps a lighter tone than necessary.

"Will you be able to walk?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah," Abel replied, standing up straight again. "Besides, you two are going to have your hands full as it is."

"Huh?"

* * *

To say the trio caused a scene when they re-entered the town would've been an understatement. Of course that's to be expected when you walk into town carrying the corpse of a monster. People gawked in awe and disbelief as the guys dropped the basilisk's heavy body on the pavement. Murmuring rose up as a crowd gathered around them. Clearly they were in shock. A few guards approached Abel cautiously, seeming as if they were afraid it was a dream. Abel glanced around at the faces of her people. For the first time in years, she saw hope beginning to shine in their eyes. Compelled by the gravity of the situation, Abel lifted the basilisk's massive head into the air and declared, "It's finished! The beast is dead!"

There was dead silence for a long moment... but all it took was one person to let out a cheer of pure relief, and the others quickly followed suit. The cheer rolled through the town like a wave as the new quickly spread. The monster that had tormented them for years was finally gone. No more would they have to fear for their lives and homes. Guards and civilians alike pushed close to see the vanquished basilisk, if only to confirm that it wasn't a dream.

Abel'd barely had time to set the beast's head on the ground before she was engulfed in a tight embrace. Twisting her neck around, she saw the culprit. "Daddy," she managed, as her father seemed intent on crushing her lungs.

Josiah Bastion didn't look anything like the rest of his family, with his dirty blonde hair always combed back neatly and tired blue-gray eyes. He was tall and wiry, with persistent bags under his eyes due to long days healing people and even longer nights doing experiments and research. He pulled back from crushing his daughter, and Abel could see the tears of relief in his eyes. He always tried to be so professional, but he really was a big softie. Josiah grabbed Abel's face and held it gently, tilting it from side to side, no doubt examining for any injuries. When his eyes landed on her scarf, he began to pull her away from the growing crowd. He didn't need to say a word for Abel to know he was taking her to treat her wound.

But before they left, she turned to see where Luffy and Zoro were. She grinned when she saw them being similarly dragged away by some of the townsfolk, most likely to a celebration meal. Catching Luffy's eye, she mouthed, "Come find me when you're done." Luffy gave her a thumbs-up before they lost sight of each other in the crowd.

* * *

"A book of monsters?"

Abel nodded, not look up from where she was scribbling rough but precise notes. "Yes. It's been my dream since I learned of my family's heritage. It's not enough just to be a Monster Hunter. I want to study them, catalogue them, and learn their strengths and weaknesses. It's not enough to just randomly stumble upon the best way to kill them. Too many people die that way. I want to learn about my enemy so not only can I better know how to fight them, but so I can train others as well. To bring back the Monsters Hunters."

It had been well into the night before Luffy and Zoro had been able to rejoin Abel at her family's home. Between all the celebrations and congratulations, it'd taken a while for them to get free from the grateful townsfolk. When they arrived, they found Abel still wide awake and working fervently on sketching and examining the basilisk's body (the head had already been mounted and posted on the tallest building in town for everyone to see). She'd set up several lanterns around the yard so she could see. Her wound had already been tended to. Her father'd sutured and bandaged it with professional ease. Now her scarf had resumed its rightful place around her neck.

"Sounds ambitious," Zoro mused, trying to glance over Abel's shoulder to see what she was writing.

Abel nodded. "I might never see every type of monster that exists before I die, but so long as I'm able to leave my insights for future monster hunters, I'll consider it a success. And hopefully it will inspire others to continue my work until there's not a single monster that exists that we don't know how to handle."

"Then you should totally come with us!" Luffy exclaimed, causing Abel to look up at him. He grinned winningly at her.

"He's right," Zoro agreed. "I'm sure there are all sorts of monsters in the Grand Line." The place wasn't known and Sailor's Graveyard for nothing.

Luffy giggled. "Plus, how cool would it be to have a Monster Hunter in the crew?"

Abel hid her face behind her journal. "I'm glad you asked," she stated cryptically.

"Oh?"

Raising her head, Abel smirked at the two. "Saves me the awkwardness of begging you to take me." Zoro and Luffy returned the look, glad that she'd decided to join before they'd even asked. "Now then..." Abel placed her journal on the table she'd set up, keeping it open. She reached for a pair of latex gloves. "You two might want to head inside," she warned, pulling the gloves on with a snap. It wasn't really necessary, but sometimes it was fun to be dramatic.

"Why?" Luffy asked curiously.

"Because..." Abel began, picking up a scalpel from a nearby surgical kit. She held the thin blade in a surprisingly menacing manner and she smirked wickedly at the guys. "The dissection is about to begin and I'd hate you to get squeamish."

* * *

The next morning was bittersweet for Abel. She was finally setting out to fulfill her dream, confident not only in herself and her goals, but that she was traveling with capable (if crazy) companions. But she was also leaving her home. For the first time, she'd be leaving Labyrinthe Isle with no intention of returning. Sure, she'd gone to some of the surrounding islands with her father on some of his trips, learning a bit about science in the process. But she'd always known she'd be coming back. Now, assuming she'd even live long enough to make it back, it would be a very long time before she saw her friends and family again. And while it did make her sad, Abel was also very excited. She was finally doing it. She was finally taking the first major step towards her dream. And she was certain she'd have all sorts of amazing adventures along the way. Especially if Luffy had anything to say about it.

But before any adventures could be had, the trio had to leave Labyrinthe Isle. Which was proving to be slightly more challenging than expected. "No, please," Abel was currently pleading, holding her hands up to halt the townsfolk lining the dock. "We can't carry that much food." It would seem that nearly everyone in town wanted to send their saviors off with barrels and baskets of food. And while the gesture was much appreciated, it was just impractical.

"Aww..." Luffy pouted from the boat, eyeing all the free food with hungry eyes. "Why not?"

"Because all that food would capsize the boat!" Zoro snapped. Luffy just continued to pout, unconvinced that was a bad thing. Hitting his captain lightly on the back of the head with a sword, Zoro commented, "If you want to carry that much food then we need to get a bigger boat."

Turning back to the townsfolk, Abel decided to compromise. "Please, we appreciate all this, but we can't carry that much. And I'd hate for your gifts to just spoil. So please, just decide on an amount that can be compactly carried and won't spoil." This seemed to appease the townsfolk, as they set about figuring out what foods they had would last on a boat voyage.

Sighing in relief, Abel turned and tossed her duffle bag to Zoro. It hit him heavily in the stomach. "Oof! What's in here?" He rubbed his stomach where something had poked him.

"Just some clothes, tools and a few journals," Abel replied. Something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, and she turned. It was her family. "Hey, give me a second," she told the guys and she headed over to her family. Silently, Zoro and Luffy left Abel to say her goodbyes.

As she approached them, she gifted them with a small, slightly sad smile. "I guess this is it," was all she could lamely say, her wit leaving her.

Sara had tears in her eyes as she pulled her daughter into a hug. "My daughter, the pirate. Not something I ever thought I'd be saying." She gave a tearful chuckle, and Abel had to fight from tearing up as well. Pressing her face deeper into Abel's neck, Sara said, "You'd better write to us when you're able." She kissed Abel on the cheek as she pulled away.

"I'll keep an eye out for a mail bird," Abel assured before moving on to her father.

"You know, when I said I was looking forward to you moving out, I didn't mean leaving the island," Josiah said in a half-joking manner.

Abel grinned. "You know me; I never do anything half way."

Casting a glance toward the boat she'd be leaving on, Josiah admitted, "I'd be more comfortable if the crew you were leaving with had a doctor... but I know you can look after yourself." He then pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead.

As Abel stood before Adam, she noted he didn't have his armor on. Noticing her expression, Adam quietly admitted, "I don't think I'm cut out to be a monster hunter. I think I was just trying to be like my big sisters." He looked up at Abel, eyes clearly showing fear of her reaction. "Are you angry?"

Abel gave Adam a gentle smile. "No," she said, being completely honest. "I'd only be mad if you weren't true to yourself." Abel surprised Adam with a hug. "I know you'll find your own path." Adam hesitated before returning the embrace just as vehemently.

Stepping back, Abel gazed over her family for what may be the last time. She took a moment to memorize everything about that moment. From the way they looked to how the weather felt in that moment. She wanted to always remember this. And when there was nothing left to say, Abel turned away. "I guess this is goodbye. And if I run into Caine out there on the sea, I'll be sure to let her know everything she missed." With one final wave, Abel boarded the boat.

"Ready?" Luffy asked her.

"Yeah," was all she could say. And with that, the ever-expanding Straw Hat crew set off for the open sea again.

The townsfolk waved until they couldn't see the boat over the horizon anymore. But the Bastion family remained a while longer, gazing out at where another child had disappeared to. "Do you think she'll be all right?" Sara asked.

"I'm sure she will," Josiah answered, sad but confident. "Even from the beginning she's never let anyone dictate where her path should take her or when it should end. Not even Death."

* * *

**So that's it. The end of Abel's introduction. The story will pick up next time with Buggy's arc.**


	4. Pirates and Thieves

**Thanks for all of the messages. They really help encourage me to keep writing.**

**I did have a quick question for you guys: when it comes to differences in character appearance between the anime & manga (ex. Robin's eyes are brown in the manga but blue in the anime) which would you prefer I use? I'm thinking anime just because that's more familiar to me, but I also like to stick to the manga for authenticity sake. Let me know.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This work is solely for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: minor language & violence**

* * *

The day after leaving Labyrinthe Isle passed peacefully enough. The seas were calm and the day was bright. And with a crate of food from the grateful townsfolk, they didn't have to worry about starvation for the time being. Of course, that all depended on being able to keep Luffy's greedy hands off it. It'd gotten to the point where Abel ending up just sitting on top of the crate, figuring at least that way Luffy'd have to throw her off to get to the food. Not that deterred him much. Every so often one of his sneaky little hands would try to creep close when he thought Abel wasn't paying attention; typically when she was either working in her journal or talking. But all he ever got for his trouble was a jab in the hand by Abel's fountain pen. By the time evening rolled around Luffy'd collected an impressive number of ink marks on both hands.

Currently the captain was trying a different tactic. Instead of trying to steal, he tried begging for seconds. Zoro watched on with more than a little amusement as Luffy hung off Abel's shoulders as she remained seated on the food crate. "Please, Abel," Luffy pleaded in his most pathetic voice.

"No."

Zoro chuckled as Abel seemed completely nonplussed with Luffy draped over her like a coat. He didn't know how she did it, but she had to be the most Zen person he'd ever met. Nothing Luffy did seemed to faze her. Regardless, it was nice to actually have someone in their tiny band who was somewhat responsible.

In an attempt to distract Luffy, Zoro asked out of the blue, "So you were actually cousins? How'd that work?"

Both Abel and Luffy looked up at Zoro. The random question took Abel by surprise, so it took her a moment to answer. "Yes. Technically speaking the people I've called my parents all my life are really my aunt and uncle. Sara and my biological mother were twins. And since all of us favored our mothers we looked alike."

"Why'd they end up adopting you?" Zoro continued.

"Because both of my biological parents died before I was born."

A long stretch of silence followed. But Luffy frowned as something seemed off about her wording. "How can your mom die _before_ you're born?" Luffy might not understand everything about "the birds and the bees," but he was pretty confident you needed a living mother to give birth to a baby.

"It's sort of complicated..." Sitting back some, as Luffy'd finally gotten off her, Abel stared out at sea as she spoke, clearly thinking of the past. "The sisters became pregnant at roughly the same time. However, because my mother was pregnant with twins, the plan was for Josiah to perform a cesarean before her due date due to medical concerns." It felt weird calling her parents by their names, but it was the only way Abel could explain it without it getting even more confusing than it already was. "This was long before the basilisk starting terrorizing everyone, mind you, so many people lived outside of the town. My parents included. When Josiah arrived he found my parents dead. From his examination, they'd been dead for two days before he arrived. Yet he never could determine the cause of death. There were no injuries. No forced entry into the house. There was nothing physically wrong with either of them that they should be dead. Anyway..." She was getting off topic.

"Naturally Josiah assumed we were dead as well. Babies rely completely on the mother's body to survive while in the womb. Even assuming whatever had killed them had left us alive, two days without food or oxygen should've done us in. So when Josiah continued with the cesarean, it was purely to be able to give the family a burial together. But to his surprise, when he removed my sister and I we started crying. He never did understand how we'd managed to survive for two days inside our dead mother's body, but we did. He took us with him when he went back home, because Sara was due to give birth any day. Which she did, with no complications. Between them they decided to raise us as a set of triplets and let the town think that the 'other' children died. I guess the births were so close together no one thought anything about it. They didn't tell Caine and me the truth until we were old enough to really understand."

"... You seem awfully calm about this..." Zoro mused, not really sure what to say after a story like that.

Abel again surprised them by giving them a slight laugh. "You're just seeing me over a decade after the fact. Believe me, when we first found out we did _not_ take it well." Abel leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "But we worked through things. As for why I can speak so calmly about it now... well, you can't really miss someone you never knew. Of course I've grieved over what happened and not getting to know my real parents, but in the grand scheme of things I think I've had a good life. A lot better than most people."

"That's a pretty cool way to look at things," Luffy admitted, sounding a bit more subdued than usual.

Abel grinned at the boys. They looked at her with unveiled admiration, and strangely she felt much older than them. Granted, she didn't know much about how their lives leading up to this point, but she'd bet her life that they'd had their fair share of obstacles and heart-break. "It's been my experience that anger is useless if it doesn't motivate you to some action. Otherwise it festers and you only end up hurting yourself." She sat up suddenly, breaking whatever spell she'd had over them. "Okay, that's enough philosophizing for one day. We should get some sleep."

It was sort of awkward for three full-grown people to find a comfortable way to sleep on a small boat, at least without everyone sleeping on top of each other, but somehow they managed. Luffy stretched out on one end, Abel on another using her bag as a pillow, and Zoro was in the middle leaning against the hull.

As things settled down for the night, Luffy thought he'd make one last try to sneak some food. His hand neared the box... when he heard the distinct mechanical sound of Abel's crossbow's limbs extending. Quickly, he pulled his hand back and settled down to sleep for real. But not before hearing a soft chuckle followed by, "That's what I thought."

* * *

By the second day. Luffy was starting to get bored. There was only so much you could do to occupy yourself in a tiny boat. Especially if you had a short attention span, like Luffy. And his crewmates weren't being much fun right now. Zoro dozed while Abel wrote in her journal again. Slumped over the hull of the boat, Luffy stared blankly down at the water. "Hey Abel," he called suddenly as a thought popped into his head. "Can you navigate?"

"You're just now asking her?" Zoro groused.

Not looking up from her writing, Abel replied, "Even if I could navigate it would be a moot point considering we don't have a map. You need to add that to your list of Thing to Do before Attempting the Grand Line. But no, I can't navigate. I can read a map and I can get where I want to go on land, but I imagine navigating a ship is a very different thing. I'm sure it requires extensive knowledge of currents, weather and other things I have no interest in learning about."

Luffy let out a very loud, drawn out groan as he flopped onto his back.

Silence descended upon the boat again as everyone went back to killing time. But as Luffy stared at the sky, a blot of white caught his attention. "Hey! There's a bird in the sky!" he exclaimed as if it were exciting news.

"That would be a good place for it," Abel drawled, not paying much attention.

She also didn't think much of it when Luffy declared, for some reason, that he was going to catch the bird before promptly propelling himself into the sky thanks to his elastic arms. Abel was quickly learning that such random behaviors were par for the course with Luffy. She did, however, pay attention when she heard Luffy's panicked scream. Should she have been surprised to find Luffy's head in the bird's mouth? That was one big seagull. "HELP!" Luffy screamed as the bird carried him away.

"YOU IDIOT!" Zoro screamed before grabbing the oars and rowing after them. Abel barely had time to raise the sails so they wouldn't tear and hang on to the mast as Zoro's insane strength made the ship shoot through the water like a torpedo.

Over the wind, Abel barely heard someone shout in the distance, and it wasn't Luffy's voice. Peering out, she spotted three men in the sea. She couldn't make them out very well, but there was definitely no boat in the area. "Shipwreck survivors at twelve o'clock," she warned.

"What!?" Zoro gasped, glancing over his shoulder. "At a time like this?" But he showed no signs of slowing down. Instead, he yelled to the trio, "I can't stop! Just grab on and climb in!"

"What'd he say!?"

Zoro plowed right through the three, but somehow they managed to snag the sides of the boat. Adrenaline can give people some fast reflexes. As they fell onto the deck, Zoro said, "You made it! Good!"

"You would have left us to die!" they shrieked.

As the trio took a moment to catch their breaths, Abel couldn't help noticing the Jolly Roger on one of their caps. It was a grinning skull-and-crossbones with a red circle for a nose and black marks around the eyes in the shape of a diamond. Abel may not know which crew that symbolized, but she knew a pirate's symbol when she saw it. Leaning in close to Zoro, she whispered in his ear, "You might want to handle this, Mr. Pirate Hunter." Her hands slid to take the oars.

Zoro tossed her a questioning glance, but all was answered when one of the pirates drew a knife on them. "Hey! Stop the ship! We're pirates of Buggy the Clown!"

Zoro slowly turned to glare at them. As he stood, Abel slid into the rowing seat and continued in the direction the seagull was taking Luffy. But by now he was almost a speck in the sky. Because she was trying to keep an eye on Luffy, she could only see what Zoro was doing in her periphery. Apparently only one of the pirates had a weapon, and he tried to stab Zoro with it. Zoro easily caught the pirate's wrist and proceeded to put the man on the ground with a few very painful-sounding punches. The other two decided to get involved then, but they quickly suffered the same fate. And all without Zoro even breaking a sweat.

Looming over the beaten men in a very intimidating fashion (Abel could now see why some people called him a demon), Zoro pointed in Abel's direction and demanded, "Get to rowing or I'll dump you back in the water."

"Of course! Of course!" they readily agreed and hobbled over to where Abel sat, still rowing. Abel relinquished her seat to them, trying hard not to smirk as they bowed repeatedly at her as she went to sit by Zoro near the stern of the boat. They were probably afraid he'd beat them up again if they did anything that appeared rude or threatening.

The ringleader sat in the middle and wrung his hands while the other two started rowing. He laughed nervously. "We're sorry, Mr. Pirate Hunter Zoro, sir! We didn't realize who you were!"

"A bit late to be kissing ass now, isn't it?" Abel asked. This caused the three to bow deeply again, apologizing very adamantly.

Zoro, of course, was unfazed. "You jokers made me lose my friend. Keep rowing. If there's any land nearby, he'll get there."

Leaning forward, Abel placed her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands. "So how did you three end up out here?"

"I'll tell you how!" the ringleader shouted, forcing Abel to lean back to avoid getting spit on. "That's for reminding us!"

"It was that woman!"

"It was all her fault!"

"She was a real looker, though!"

Abel held back a sigh. Typical men. _Always thinking with their privates. At least they got what they deserved._

The pirates went on to tell their sob story. "We had just finished raiding a merchant ship and was admiring our spoils, when he came across a boat just drifting in the water. Thinking there might be something worth stealing, we headed for it. That was when we noticed there was someone on it. When we pulled alongside, we saw it was a girl. At first we thought she was dead. She wasn't moving or nothing. But then she looked up. She was really cute. She had this fiery hair, and this short skirt showing off her long legs, and-"

"We get it. There was a sexy lady. Please continue," Abel interrupted, raising her voice slightly. _Before you drool all over the boat_, she thought.

Beside her, Zoro smirked. That was probably the closest he'd seen Abel to being annoyed.

"Uh... right. Anyway, she looked really weak. Like she'd been stuck out at sea for a long time. She said she was lost, and asked for some bread and water. She even offered us some gold out of her treasure chest. Now being the business-minded pirates that we are, we said we'd help after _helping_ ourselves to her treasure. But while we were fiddling with the lock, she up and stole our ship! Sailed right off with it, looking as right as rain!"

"There wasn't even anything in the chest!" one of the others bemoaned.

"The next thing we know she's spouting on about 'dark clouds,' 'cold fronts,' and 'showers.' Then it suddenly starts pouring and her boat capsized. She sailed off laughing, leaving us stranded at sea! And that's the whole sad story!"

"Just awful, ain't it!?"

But instead of taking pity on the poor sobs (because let's face it, they were planning to take all this girl's gold and probably do worse to her), Zoro focused on how she'd managed to evade the trio. "Amazing. She used the weather to her own advantage. She must really know the seas."

"That's what we need in a navigator," Abel agreed.

"What'll we do about the treasure we lost?" the pirates began to discuss amongst themselves.

"If we return empty-handed, Buggy will be furious!"

"Who's this Buggy guy anyway?" Zoro asked. This was the second time they'd mentioned that name.

The three looked at them like they'd lost their minds or something. The ringleader leaned forward, his face growing pale. Should someone really be that afraid of their own captain? "Only the most ferocious pirate in these parts! Haven't you heard of Buggy the Clown? He ate the Devil Fruit!"

"... the Devil Fruit?" Zoro repeated.

* * *

Thanks to their three conscripts, Zoro and Abel reached the nearest island in no time. The sun had barely moved by the time they rowed ashore. "We're here, Master Zoro!"

With a yawn and stretch, Zoro stood up and gazed around at the new island. He blinked slowly when he noticed something. Or rather, lack of something. "What's this? The village is empty? I can't see anyone around..."

Yes, aside from the five of them, there wasn't a single soul in sight. Which seemed odd (and slightly eerie, if Abel were being honest), given the size of the town. Numerous tall buildings lined the empty streets, windows dark and lifeless. But despite having the air of a ghost town, it was obvious that if this place had been abandoned it had been recent. Everything was still in excellent condition. No crumbling buildings or any sign of ruin.

Climbing out of the boat and onto the docks, Abel mentioned, "I'm sure that pirate ship has more than just a little to do with it." It would be difficult to miss the pirate ship docked directly next to them. Abel noticed it had the same Jolly Roger as the three pirates. And oddly, there appeared to be a circus tent in the middle of it. _This Buggy is really selling the whole clown motif_, she thought, her nose crinkling unconsciously in distaste.

"Well, you see, sir... we've taken over the town," one of the pirates admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The other two seemed more concerned about their pending punishment. "What'll we tell Captain Buggy? We're coming back empty-handed."

"We'll just have to tell him the truth. It's all that girl's fault."

"We better meet that Buggy guy then," Zoro began as he disembarked from the ship. He readjusted his swords. "Maybe he knows where Luffy is."

The three visibly paled again. "I-If it's all the same to you, Master Zoro, we'd rather stay as far from the Captain as possible right now! I'm sure you and Miss... uh..." He trailed off, realizing he had no idea who Abel was. Eventually he settled on, "Your woman... can find them with little trouble."

Abel tried hard not to smirk. "It's a bit presumptuous to say I'm 'your woman,' don't you think?" Abel asked lightly, leaning over Zoro's shoulder. "You haven't even taken me out to dinner once."

Zoro stared at Abel strangely. "Are you insane?" he asked slowly.

Abel laughed at Zoro's response, but she just brushed it all off. Leaving the three cowering pirates behind, Abel walked over to the nearest building. "Let's get a lay of the land, shall we?" she asked more to herself as she began to climb the wall. It was simple matter to reach the roof. At least for Abel it was. She had years of practice climbing trees, among other things, back home.

Abel carefully walked along the slanted roof and scanned the village. It really did appear to be completely vacant. But in the distance she thought she could make something out. She placed a hand over her eyes to get rid of the sun glare. "Do you see anything?" Zoro called up.

"I think so," she replied. She pointed in the direction of what she saw, slightly northeast. "There appears to be a garish little circus tent on top of that building. Call it a hunch, but I bet that's where this Buggy gentleman is." She looked down at Zoro. "I'll lead the way. You follow along from there."

It was quite easy traveling along the rooftops. All of the buildings in this town seemed to be identical. All two-story, with the same pointed roofs. They were also close together, which made leaping from one building to the next very simple. Not to mention fun. Abel made sure to stay within view of the road so Zoro was able to follow. As they got closer, Abel noticed that the building the pirate appeared to have taken over looked to be the only flat roof in the town.

But neither pirate was expecting it when a huge explosion shook the island. The surprise caused Abel to lose her footing and slip down the roof she was on. She would've fallen off the roof entirely if she hadn't managed to grab onto the corner of the chimney out of pure reflex. On the ground, Zoro instinctively ducked and covered his head. Fortunately, the blast went in the opposite direction from where they were, so aside from some ringing in their ears, to two were undamaged.

Once the ground stopped shaking and everything grew silent again, Zoro quickly called up to Abel, "Hey! Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine," Abel replied, pressing her hand to her chest to calm her heartbeat. She focused on slowing her breathing.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Zoro glared in the direction of the blast. "What the hell was that? A cannon?" He shook his head. "No, it sounded more like a bomb." He'd never heard a cannon be that loud before.

"Whatever it was, it definitely originated from the building we're heading for," Abel warned. She peered down at Zoro from the edge of the roof. "I suggest we exercise caution. I wouldn't put it past Luffy to wind up in a delicate situation."

Zoro nodded, agreeing with the assessment. "Be careful up there," he urged. "You're easier to spot then me."

Abel gave a mock salute. "You've got it, chief."

The two continued forward, much more cautiously than before. Abel paused upon reaching each new building, slowly peeking over the point of the roof to make sure there were no more surprises. The last building was a long, thin one. The roof ran perpendicular to the others. This meant that there were several alcoves were windows had been built into the top floor. This offered Abel the perfect vantage point to finally get a glimpse of what they were facing without fear of being spotted. The building the pirates currently occupied was a tavern, if the sign reading "Drinkers Pub" was any indication. The roof was wide open and flat, with a door leading from the inside. Pirates littered the roof, all dressed in various circus attire.

She could also see that one that must've been the captain. The orange captain's coat was a dead giveaway. Buggy the Clown's most distinguishing feature was his big red nose. But he also had white crossbones painted on his forehead and red clown lipstick. His blue hair stuck out of the sides of his orange pirate hat like streamers on a bike. He also wore a red-and-white striped shirt, loose white pants, red-and-white striped socks up to his knees, red pointy shoes, white gloves and an orange sash around his waist. Overall, he looked like a demented clown.

But even more importantly was that Abel had found their wayward captain. She probably should've been surprised at the state she found him in, but she was beginning to realize nothing Luffy did should surprise her.

"What do you see?" Zoro called up.

"Luffy. He's bound and in a steel cage."

"What!?"

"And there's a cannon pointed at him."

"WHAT!? Shouldn't you have mentioned that first!?"

"Yeah..." Abel trailed off as she studied the building, slowly pulling out her bow. "I recommend we intervene. You should be able to reach the roof through the main entrance." She pointed to the bar's front doors. "I doubt there's many pirates still inside, but I'm sure you can take care of any that are. I'll cover you from here." Abel strung her bow and was already nocking and arrow. "I can take out the cannoneer from here."

"Right!" Without needing further instructions, Zoro raced for the building.

Confident that Zoro could handle himself, Abel lined up her sights and observed the situation closely. She zeroed in on the girl standing next to the cannon with a box of matches in her hand. If she tried to light the cannon, Abel could stop her. She didn't want to have to kill another human being, but she should be able to at least incapacitate her.

Now that she thought about it, the girl looked out-of-place. She actually looked... normal in comparison to the others. Unlike the other pirates with their circus getup, she wore a white t-shirt with blue stripes around the chest, a short tan skirt with white circles on the hip and red ankle boots. Even her shoulder-length orange hair looked natural. Abel's eyes narrowed slightly at the girl's expression. She looked... distraught. Conflicted. Despite the cheering of the other pirates to shoot Luffy, she was hesitating. Her hands were trembling. Was she a new pirate? Was this some sort of initiation ritual?

For his part, Luffy was just calmly staring the girl down. Not like he could do much else, tied up as he was.

"Nami!" Buggy suddenly shouted, making the girl jump. His voice grated on Abel's ears. It was like it couldn't decide if he'd hit puberty yet. "Stop stalling and light the cannon!" But still, she didn't move a muscle.

"Your hands are shaking," Luffy said, with quiet surety. The girl, Nami, looked up at him in surprise. Abel wondered if she'd even known how badly she was shaking. Luffy gave a broad, confident grin. "That's what you get for going up against pirates unprepared!"

"Unprepared!?" Nami repeated mockingly. Even her voice shook. She sounded young. "You mean not being prepared to kill someone like it's nothing? Is that what 'prepared' means to a pirate?"

"No," Luffy replied easily. His grin screamed determination. "It means being prepared to risk your own life!"

Whatever Nami's response might have been, it didn't matter, as another pirate decided to interrupt. "What's a matter, new girl!?" He snatched the matches from Nami's hand. "Don't ya know how to fire a cannon?" As he lit one of the matches, Abel quickly shifted her focus to him. She drew her arrow back as the man moved the match near the fuse. But before she could let go, someone had already knocked him out of the way.

Abel blinked, and it took her a second to realize that it had been Nami who'd hit him. She'd struck him in the head with a bo staff. _Where'd she get that?_ Abel wondered curiously. It was almost as tall as she was.

Everyone looked surprised by this sudden turn. Even Nami. It would appear that she'd just reacted.

"Traitor!" Buggy shrieked, again hurting Abel's ears. "And after I welcomed you into my crew!"

"Whoa, are you going to save me after all?" Luffy asked.

"Don't be stupid!" Nami snapped. She glared at Luffy before turning to face the pirates, holding her staff defensively in front of her. "I just got carried away... I just don't want to become a low-down murderer like all of you!" Nami grit her teeth, and Abel could feel the seething hate from there. "You pirates took someone dear to me... I'll never become what I hate!"

"Oh... so that's why you hate pirates," Luffy muttered.

_Most people do, and for good reason_, Abel thought. Luffy and Zoro weren't exactly typical pirates. If they had been, Abel wouldn't have considered joining up with them. Maybe she should come up with a better term to describe them. "Pirate" had too many negative implications.

"The fuse is lit!"

Luffy's scream drew Abel back to the present. She saw that the fuse was indeed lit. _Because falling away from the fuse would've been too much to ask_. As Luffy began to panic, for some reason trying to pull the bars apart with his teeth, Abel took aim at the cannon. Hitting something as thin as a fuse from this angle would be tricky, but Abel wasn't about to let her captain get blown up one day into being part of the crew. It was unprofessional.

"Little girl, you tried to make a fool of me!" Saying Buggy was livid would be an understatement. He jabbed an angry finger in her direction. "For that, you die!" Upon his order, four of his men charged at Nami with knives, clearly intent on showing her what happened to traitors.

Nami tensed as she spared a quick glance over her shoulder. "The fuse is still lit..." And she was running out of time. Nami felt torn between defending herself and saving Luffy. Of course she didn't want to die, but she couldn't just stand back and let the cannon shoot Luffy. Then she'd be no better than these pirates. Plus, Luffy didn't seem so bad... For a pirate, anyway.

As the pirates neared, Nami swung her staff at them, but they jumped out of the way with acrobatic ease. "You missed!" they taunted.

Nami could hear Luffy freaking out behind her. There was no more time. Nami flung her staff at the pirates, hoping that would buy her some time. Spinning on her heels, she ran for the cannon. But she stopped short when she noticed that the fuse had been cut. Something had cut it off close to the end before it could detonate the black powder inside. The lit portion sizzled harmlessly on the ground. _It's been cut? How?_

"Hey! Look out! Behind you!"

Nami flinched, preparing to be stabbed from behind. But instead, she heard the pirates cry out in pain.

"How many pirates does it take to handle one girl?"

Nami's eyes widened as she whipped around to face the deep voice. She had not been expecting to see a man with green hair and three swords behind her. He had two swords out, and the pirates had run face-first into them. He stood solidly as they collapsed to the ground, halting any further attack. Realizing the immediate danger was gone, Nami's legs gave out and she collapsed to the ground. Though whether it was from shock or relief, she couldn't really say.

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted happily.

Leaving the pirates passed out of the floor, Zoro turned to face Nami. "You hurt?" he asked.

Nami gaped up at him. "No, I'm okay..." she managed. What the hell was going on here?

Luffy sighed happily. "I'm glad you found me! Now get me outta here!" He knew they'd come, it had just been a question of whether they'd get there in time.

Zoro raised an eyebrow at Luffy's predicament. "You! Is this your idea of fun!?" he chided, as if he were talking to a child. He tapped one of his swords against his shoulder impatiently. "You get caught by a bird and got carried away, and now when I finally find you, you're in a cage!? Fool!"

Zoro's sudden appearance had stunned the Buggy Pirates into inaction. Especially when they heard who it was that had intervened. "Hey, did he just call that guy Z-Zoro?"

"What's Zoro the Pirate Hunter doing talking to that thief?"

"The crewmate he was talking about... that was Zoro the Pirate Hunter?" Nami wondered. "What's going on here?" It was like she was in some messed up dream. She didn't understand anything that was going on anymore.

"So you're Roronoa Zoro, eh?" Buggy asked. He sounded much calmer than before. Unsettlingly so. He clearly had something on his mind. "You must have come to capture me!"

Zoro didn't even spare the pirate a glance. "I gave up pirate hunting. I have no interest in you." He just wanted to collect his captain and leave.

"Well, I am interested in you," Buggy retorted, pulling out five knives. The way he held them easily between his fingers suggested he knew how to use them. As he flipped one playfully, he sneered, "Killing you will be a nice feather in my cap."

Zoro glowered at the captain for the threat. "Back off before I pluck all your feather."

As his crew cheered for him to cut Zoro down, Buggy drew a knife across his tongue, looking rather psychotic. "Give me all you've got, Pirate Hunter, 'cause I'm about to get a look at your blood!" He charged at Zoro, intent to kill.

"You asked for it!" Zoro growled, drawing all three swords. When Buggy got close, Zoro slashed at him. His swords tore through Buggy's body, cutting clean through his torso, right arm and leg.

Silence descended on the pub as Buggy's motionless body fell to the ground. "Hey! That was too easy!" Luffy exclaimed. Not that he was really complaining.

"No way..." Nami breathed. Buggy had such a fearsome reputation. And while Zoro had a reputation himself, she still hadn't expected the fight to be that easy.

Zoro snorted. "That was almost disappointing..." he muttered, sheathing his swords.

From her perch one building over, Abel watched the scene unfold with more than a little suspicion. Her uneasy feeling didn't necessarily come from the ease at which Zoro dispatched the pirate, but rather his crew's reaction. Instead of reacting in an expected manner, like getting angry and attacking or at the very least checking on their captain, they just stood there. Laughing. And not any normal laughter, either. Rather it was the super creepy, I-know-something-you-don't-but-you're-about-to-find-out-in-the-worst-possible-way kind of laughter. _This is what people sound like before they have a psychotic break_, she thought. She kept a close eye on the scene as Zoro moved over to Luffy's cage.

Zoro examined the cage. It was very sturdy. Thick iron bars wedged securely into two concrete slabs. "We can't open this without a key," he decided. "There bars are too thick for me to cut through."

"Oh..." Luffy mumbled unhappily.

By this point, the creepy chuckling had turned into outright guffawing. Some of them were laughing so hard they were crying. "Very funny..." Zoro growled. "Now hand over the keys to this cage before I get cranky."

Abel's hand instinctively twitched down to draw another arrow. The laughter was more than a little unsettling. _It's like we've been left out of some really good joke and we're about to be the punch line_. From her position, Abel noticed something move near Buggy's body. At first it was just a flash of steel reflecting the sunlight, but as it came into view Abel nearly gasped. It was a floating hand, carrying a knife. She didn't even have time to wonder at the bizarreness as the target quickly become clear. Disregarding any thought of keeping her location hidden, she shouted, "Zoro! Behind you!"

Zoro started to turn, but he was too slow to stop the knife from plunging deep into his back. Zoro fell to his knees as pain blossomed in his side, blood pour up into his mouth.

"ZORO!?" Luffy shouted in horror.

"What the-!? That hand-!" Nami couldn't even comprehend what was happening.

"What's going on...!?" Zoro gasped, blindly batting away the knife. He flung himself around the face it, one hand pressed against his bleeding side. His eyes widened in disbelief at what he was seeing. "The hand... it's floating!" Without anything attached to it, the hand floated threatening in the air, still brandishing the knife.

Abel could hardly believe her eyes as she saw Buggy's body begin to rise, still in pieces. They hovered close to each other. "The Chop-Chop Fruit!" Buggy spoke, very fluently for a supposedly dead man. His separate body parts started coming back together, quickly melding back into place with nary so much as a scar to show. Buggy grinned maniacally. "That's the Devil Fruit that I ate! You can slice and dice me, but you can't kill me! I'm a Chop-Chop Man!"

"His body is back together again!" Nami gasped. Her stomach churned as she tried not to think about the physical implications of being sliced into pieces and put back together. "I thought the stories about the Devil Fruit were just myths!"

"Chop-Chop Man!? That guy's a freak!" Luffy exclaimed, completely discounting the fact that he himself was a freak of nature.

Abel drew her bow, but hesitated. Would an arrow even work on someone like Buggy? She didn't know. Abel had a general understanding of the way Devil Fruits worked, but there were far too many of them to know what the specific abilities and limitations of each were. But she would certainly try to stop him. If nothing else, maybe she could pin all of his pieces to the ground.

Buggy grinned wickedly, obviously very pleased with himself. "Roronoa Zoro! You never had a chance!" His eyes danced with psychotic joy at the blood pouring over Zoro's hand. "Looks like I missed your vitals... but you still took a serious wound!"

Zoro was in bad shape, and he knew it. His side ached with each breath. He was sweating. _I came here to save Luffy, now I'm the one who needs saving. I heard that this clown had eaten Devil Fruit... I should've been prepared..._ He should've known better than to let his guard down. Zoro could do nothing but glare up at Buggy as he loomed over him. The pirates cheered for their captain to finish him off.

_Not good,_ Nami thought. She bit her lip in nervousness. _The tables have turned... If I don't do something, those two will end up dead - and so will I!_ If someone like Roronoa Zoro couldn't defeat Buggy, what hope did she have?

"Stabbing someone in the back... that's fighting dirty!" Luffy suddenly shouted, surprising everyone. His eyes burned with rage at the cowardly way his friend had been injured. "You got that, Big Nose!?" The pirates let out very unmanly squeaks at Luffy's taunt, while Buggy stood frozen.

"You fool!" Nami shouted, ducking for cover. "That's the one thing you never-"

"YOU DARE TO CALL ME 'BIG NOSE'!?" Buggy shrieked, voice cracking in rage. Completely forgetting about Zoro, he whirled around and shot one of hands towards Luffy, aiming the knife at him. The knife flew at Luffy, helpless in the cage... but before it made it past the bars something struck it in midair, sending the knife sailing away. "What!?" The object that hit the knife flipped in the air a few times before embedding in the floor. A single arrow.

Luffy smirked at the bewildered Buggy. "Looks like luck's on my side!" Despite the bravado, Luffy was relieved inside. _Good thing Abel was there_...

"Luck? Don't make me laugh!" But he did anyway. "You three are about to die!"

Luffy laughed along with Buggy, but for an entirely different reason. "No way!" he argued confidently. "I'm not gonna die!"

This just made Buggy laugh even harder, and his crew followed suit. "And just what do you intend to do now?"

Ignoring how the pirates were laughing at what they believed was a lost cause, Luffy shouted, "Zoro! Run!"

"Huh!?" Zoro gasped. What was Luffy talking about?

"What?" Nami shouted. "Your friend came to rescue you, but you're telling him to run away!? They'll kill you the moment we go!" The absurdity of her trying to save a pirate didn't occur to Nami at that moment.

Zoro and Luffy shared a long look. Zoro didn't get it at first, but as Luffy smiled at him with quiet certainty, he thought he understood his captain's silent order. "Oh... gotcha..."

Nami groaned and held her head. _He's deserting us!? Urgh! That's why I hate pirates! Now I have to come up with an escape plan!_

"Roronoa Zoro! You won't get away that easily! Chop-Chop Cannon!" Buggy shot both of his hands, each holding a knife, at Zoro as he ran in Luffy's direction. But their paths were interrupted by several more arrows shooting over the roof. Buggy screamed as one of them grazed his disembodied arm. "Who's doing that!?"

Before he could look for the hidden culprit, he noticed that Zoro hadn't been intending to run away. Instead, he ran over to Buggy's cannon. Getting under the muzzle, Zoro pressed his back into it and painstakingly pushed it up. Surprising, considering the sheer weight of the cannon. With a massive heave, he tossed the muzzle backwards, reversing the direction it was pointing in.

The pirates began to panic. "The big cannon's pointed at us!"

"And it's loaded with one of my Buggy Balls!" Talk about turning the tables...

"Light this thing!" Zoro shouted at Nami.

The girl jumped at his order. "Huh? R-Right!"

"Hurry!"

Nami snatched up the box of matches that had conveniently fallen near them and quickly lit the cannon. Thanks to the shortened fuse, it barely took a few seconds before the cannon fired, sending a massive explosion towards Buggy and his pirates.

After the rumbling stopped, Abel stood up from hiding behind the alcove and observed the damage. Through the smoke and dust, it was impossible to tell if Buggy and his crew were in one piece. But if she couldn't see them, maybe they couldn't see either. Thankfully, Luffy, Nami and Zoro all appeared to be uninjured. Abel was grateful for that. She'd been more than somewhat surprised by Luffy and Zoro's improvisation. But so long as it worked out, that was all that mattered. Abel climbed further up onto the roof.

She could see Zoro talking to Nami. "Who're you, anyway?" he was asking.

The girl looked a bit... unsettled. Abel couldn't say she blamed her. "I'm... a thief," she answered unsurely.

"Actually, she's our new navigator!" Luffy stated, beaming up at her.

_So the woman who nearly obliterated you but didn't solely out of moral objection to murder is the person we're going to entrust our safety to?_ Abel wondered sardonically. Then again, she had tried to save Luffy, so maybe she wasn't so bad...

That was all a moot point, though, as said woman began protesting Luffy's assigned position. "You're an idiot, aren't you!? You're still on about that!? If you've got time to say things like that then how about thinking of a way to get outta that cage!?"

"Oh, yeah. Maybe you're right..."

As the two bickered, Abel placed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Only Zoro seemed to hear the sounds, and he looked in her direction. Abel motioned for them to hurry over. Who knew how much time they'd bought themselves? Zoro nodded. As Luffy and Nami continued to argue, Zoro grinned and said, "No problem... You just stay in the cage."

From somewhere in the smoke, Buggy could be heard shouting, "You're not going anywhere!" But judging by the coughing, it was an empty threat.

Abel watched in awe and a bit of concern as Zoro grabbed Luffy's cage and began trying to lift it. He groaned and grunted under the heavy weight, but slowly lifted it by the bars. But the effort just made his wound bleed heavier. "Zoro, don't do this!" Luffy protested. Not that he could really do anything to stop him. "Your guts'll squirt out!"

Zoro's muscles strained as the cage reached chest level. Gritting his teeth, Zoro choked out, "Then I'll just shove 'em back in!" He put more strength into his legs to hold the cage up.

"How can you do this?" Nami squeaked.

With one final effort, Zoro managed to sling the cage up onto his back. He kept one arm threaded through the bars. "I do things my own way!" he declared strongly, despite the obvious pain in his voice. He ignored the blood soaking into his haramaki and pants. Casting a last dark look at Nami, Zoro snapped, "So don't give me any lip about it!"

Carefully, lest his legs give out completely, Zoro made his way over to where Abel watched. Her expression was quite curious... at least for her. She wasn't frowning, but looked a bit more serious than usual. She hovered around the boys. She wanted to help, but she knew her physical strength couldn't compare to Zoro's, even assuming he'd let her help shoulder the burden.

Once he'd reached Abel's hiding spot, Zoro dropped the cage with a heavy thud. Luffy slammed against the bars, but didn't seem too bothered. Zoro was clearly the one in worst shape. He staggered as he sat down heavily on the roof. The window's alcove would keep them from view of the pirates, and it was unlikely they'd think to check the rooftops.

Abel observed Zoro for a long moment. For all his bravado, the man was clearly in pain. He was out of breath, sweating profusely, and his muscles trembled from exhaustion. But he still kept a passive front up. "I've heard about men dripping with machismo, but this is a bit ridiculous, don't you think?" she asked lightly as she knelt next to Zoro. Zoro glanced at her and looked prepared to give a sharp retort, but it died on his lips as he watched Abel pull off her scarf and begin wrapping his torso. So instead, he stayed quiet and let her bandage him up while he caught his breath.

Beside them, Luffy rattled the cage in frustration. "Darn it! If only I could get out of this cage!"

Zoro peered around the alcove as he heard the pirates shouting about finding them. "We're in a... fine mess... now we gotta finish what we started."

_To Be Continued..._


	5. Burn it to the Ground

**Another chapter down. Thanks for the reviews again, guys. I appreciate it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warning: Mild Language & Violence**

* * *

Getting the cage down from the roof had been a simple enough task. Zoro simply shoved it over the edge, letting it fall to the pavement. The weight of the cage created a dent in the ground and Luffy bounced around inside, but otherwise seemed unharmed. He was essentially a living rubber ball, after all. Zoro and Abel jumped down after. Eyeing the way Zoro flinched on the landing, but tried to hide it, Abel suggested, "Let's head deeper into town. That should give us time to regroup and think of a way to get Luffy out of this cage."

"Can you guys at least untie me?" Luffy asked.

Zoro blinked, realizing that Luffy was still tied up by the rope. "Oh... yeah." He drew a sword, and with a practiced flourish, sliced the rope in half.

Luffy sighed loudly as the ropes fell away. "Ah! That's so much better!" Luffy exclaimed, giving his arms a much-needed stretch. He didn't like being constricted like that.

Abel glanced toward the pub. "Let's get out of here before they find us."

Abel led them away from the pub while Zoro dragged the cage along behind them. Abel would've preferred another way to move the cage, because dragging it would just put more strain on Zoro's damaged body, but they didn't have a lot of options. So instead she busied herself keeping her eyes and ears open for anything that might suggest they were about to be spotted, but it looked like luck was on their side for the moment. But that didn't stop her from wincing every time she heard the loud scraping sound of the cage dragging against the ground. _If anyone was nearby, I'm sure they'd have heard that by now_, she thought. Hopefully that meant they were in the clear at the moment.

Abel occasionally glanced over her shoulder to check on Zoro's condition. He seemed to be holding up well, all things considered. He kept one hand pressed into his side for support, but it looked like her scarf was keeping him from bleeding too badly. She could see in the stressed lines of his face that he was getting tired. But of course he was too stoic to say anything.

After nearly ten minutes of wandering aimlessly through the deserted town, it finally felt safe enough to take a break. No doubt Buggy's pirates would try to find them, but hopefully not before they found a way to get Luffy uncaged. Glancing around, Zoro stated, "We should be far enough from that tavern. They probably won't catch up to us too soon..."

"We'll still have to confront them if we want to free Luffy, though," said Abel, staring down at their captain. "I'm positive Buggy has the key to the cage."

Luffy kept tugging at the bars, sometimes even biting them (although how he hadn't broken his teeth yet was beyond Abel), but they were just too solid. Buggy certainly knew how to construct a cage. Luffy sighed in defeat. "I can't do anything stuck inside this thing!"

Abel's head snapped up when Zoro suddenly collapsed on the ground. He landed face-first, arms sprawled out in front of him. For a second she thought he'd passed out, until she heard Zoro mutter, "It's no use... lost too much blood... got to... rest..." Zoro's body sagged as he closed his eyes, fully intent on falling asleep right in the middle of the road. As his eyes fluttered tiredly, a blur of white caught Zoro's attention enough to pull him back from sleep. He jerked in surprise as his eyes focused on a dog right in front of him. How did he not notice that? "What's with you, dog?" Zoro asked, sitting up. The dog just stared at him blankly.

Abel blinked, just now noticing the dog. She must've not noticed it because it wasn't moving. It almost looked like a statue. It was a small, solid white dog with floppy ears and a curved tail. A fluttering sensation rose unbidden in her chest, pulling a smile to her lips. "Hey puppy," she said gently, kneeling next to the dog. It watched her, but made no attempt to move. Giving no thought to the fact that this was a strange dog, Abel gently scratched it behind the ears with her nails.

Somehow Luffy managed to use his body weight to rock the cage closer until he sat right in front of the dog. "Is it real?" he asked, noting the complete lack of response from the little dog. "It's not moving..."

"Who cares..." Zoro grumbled, leaning back against the pillar of a porch. "It's his business if he moves or not. Our business is to get you out of there." He couldn't care less about some catatonic dog.

Luffy continued to have a staring contest with the dog before deciding, "Maybe it's dead," and poking it in both eyes.

Before Abel could scold him, the dog took matter into its own hands. Or rather, teeth. It lunged at Luffy, biting him in the face through the bars. For some reason, Abel couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for Luffy as the dog tugged at Luffy's limbs like they were his own personal chew toy. He did kind of deserve it. "Dumb dog!" Luffy shouted, punching the dog in the face. But it didn't relent. That was one tough little pooch. "Lemme go, lemme go!"

"Luffy, stop playing around!" Zoro snapped. But the sudden strain must've been too much for him. He turned blue in the face before falling back. "Lost... too much blood!" He lay there, spread-eagle, unmoving.

The dog's attack ended as quickly as it began. Luffy slumped in his cage. "Dumb dog!" Said dog didn't seem concerned as it resumed its post, once again staring placidly ahead. Abel probably shouldn't have been as amused by the scene as she was.

Leaving the boys to rest (what else was she supposed to do with them?), Abel idly pet the dog while she pondered their situation. Zoro was injured. Luffy was imprisoned. _This isn't the most favorable set of circumstances_, she admitted. _Freeing Luffy from the cage is obviously the first step. But I'm positive Buggy will have the key. And he knows we'll be looking for it, so it's not as if he'll just leave it lying around._ She knew it would come a head with the pirates one way or another, but she'd rather it to be later. Preferably when they weren't in such a sorry state. Right now, she was the only one in fighting form, and she wasn't too keen on taking on the entire Buggy crew on her own. Abel's held fell to the side as the weighed her options. _Maybe I can set up an ambush?_

With the town's aching silence, it was easy for Abel to catch the footsteps approaching their position. Without a sound, she minutely turned her head from side to side, trying to locate the sound's direction. _From there..._ she thought, eyeing the alley to the right of their location. A quick glance at the boys revealed they were unaware of their soon-to-be visitor. Leaving them to it, Abel waiting until the footsteps rounded the corner before raising her crossbow.

"Gah!"

Abel was surprised when, not a pirate, but Nami rounded the corner. Instantly seeing the crossbow pointed at her head, the thief jumped back and raised her hands in the universal sign for Please-Don't-Shoot. "Oh. It's you," she said mildly, sliding the crossbow back in its holster, the limbs automatically retracting. Abel'd wondered where the thief had gotten to.

Catching Abel's words, Zoro and Luffy finally looked up. "Hey! It's our navigator!" they greeted at the same time.

"I never agreed to that!"

Seeing her for the first time up close, Abel was able to more properly observe the fiery thief. Nami looked a bit younger than Abel, but probably older than Luffy. She looked roughly about five foot-six, making her slightly shorter than Luffy. She had large brown eyes that had a slight reddish tint. She had a slim yet curvy figure. At a glance, Abel estimated that Nami was the sort of person who preferred to avoid direct confrontations and use her wits (sprinkled with a bit of feminine charm) to out-fox others. She had to be pretty ballsy to go up against a pirate crew all on her own.

Nami stared at the trio before announcing, "I just wanted to thank you for saving me..."

"Thank us?"

Without another word, Nami fished something out of her shirt and tossed it on the ground between them. A small, rusty key chimed as it hit the ground. "Hey! The key!" Luffy exclaimed. "You stole the key to the cage!"

Nami huffed. "Yeah, sure... I got the stupid key, but I left the map and all the treasure."

Abel couldn't help but smirk at Nami's disappointment. "How fortuitous."

"This is great!" Luffy said with a bright laugh. "I thought I'd never get out of here!"

Zoro grinned, sitting up slightly. "Then the rescue... was a success... after all!"

But it would seem things were never so simple for the Straw Hat Crew. Because as soon as Luffy reached for the key, the dog bent down, picked it up in its mouth, and promptly swallowed it. For one of the few times in her life, Abel honestly didn't know how to react. She could only stare at the dog, which for its part seemed unmoved. Luffy's freedom had just gone down the dog's gullet. But Luffy certainly knew how to react. Like a man possessed, he lunged at the dog, almost bending the bars out as he reached. "COUGH IT UP!" he shouted, wrapping his hands around the dog's throat and shaking it violently. "That's not food! Gimme that key!" Abel probably should've stepped in before he killed the dog, but it seemed to be holding its own just fine as it began biting Luffy viciously. Abel, Zoro and Nami could only watch as Luffy and the dog duked it out in the middle of the street, sending up clouds of dust.

"Dern whippersnappers! Don't you pick on poor ol' Chouchou!"

Every turned at the voice interrupting Luffy's fight. Abel eyed the strange man before them. He was an older man, with a blonde mullet that was starting to gray, small round glasses and bulky-looking armor over his chest, arms and legs. Despite the wooden spear strapped to his back, Abel had the distinct impression that this man was a bit of an improvised warrior.

His sudden appearance halted Luffy and the dog's fight. "Chouchou?" Luffy repeated, though his voice came out slightly garbled since the dog still had ahold of his face and stretched it comically.

"Who're you, old timer?" Zoro asked disrespectfully.

"Who am I? I'm the mayor of this town, that's who!" The mayor looked down, eyes falling on the makeshift bandage around Zoro's waist. "Oh my... that's a nasty wound. Looks like you've had a run in with the Buggy Pirates." He walked past them before beckoning the injured swordsman. "I have some medical supplies in my house." Zoro stood, wincing slightly, and followed after the mayor. And after a moment's hesitation, Nami followed as well. Maybe she wasn't comfortable being around pirates like them. "Are you coming?" the mayor asked Abel.

"I would be rather remiss to leave my captain here in his helpless state," Abel replied, sitting next to Chouchou, who'd finally let go of Luffy's face - probably because the rubber boy had stopped choking him. She held back a chuckle at the strange looks the mayor and Nami were giving her. "I'll wait here. I'm sure we can entrust Zoro to your care." She doubted they were in any danger from the mayor of this terrorized town.

Shrugging, the mayor led Zoro and Nami down the street.

While they waited, Abel began petting Chouchou again. He seemed rather indifferent to her company. As she scratched him under his chin, she saw Luffy glaring at the dog from the corner of her eye. "Stupid dog..." he mumbled, crossing his arms and pouting. Not that she could really blame his ill mood. "What're we supposed to do now?"

"Hmm..." Abel pondered again. "Technically speaking we could just wait for the key to pass through Chouchou's digestive system. It'll come out eventually."

Luffy thought about what Abel said for a moment before realization struck. "Ew..."

"Indeed." Abel didn't exactly like that solution either, less for the "ew" factor and more from not wanting to wait around that long. "Alternatively, we could give him something that induces sickness and let him... regurgitate the key." Abel felt more than heard Chouchou growl at her for that suggestion. She smiled morosely. "Sorry puppy, but you have put us in quite a bind." She didn't want to hurt the cute little thing, but they didn't have a lot of options right now.

By that time, the mayor and Nami's reappearance put any further discussions of key retrieval on hold. Much to Chouchou's relief. "Where'd you take Zoro?" Luffy asked as they approached.

"He's resting," the mayor answered. "My house is just over there." He pointed at a house not far down the street from them, digging around in his pocket with one hand. He pulled out a set of keys. They watched as the mayor unlocked the door behind Chouchou and disappear inside. But he kept talking, even if they couldn't see what he was doing. "That boy's lost a lot of blood! I told 'im there's a doctor at the refugee shelter but he said he just needs a little sleep!"

"So that's where everyone's at," Abel mused. Good to know they weren't all just dead.

"Yes. Ever since Buggy and his marauders showed up, we were forced to evacuate the town for our own safety. We can't stand up to them. All we can do is wait them out at the camp." Abel didn't have to see his face to hear the bitterness and anger in the mayor's tone. She sympathized. She understood all too well what it was like to have your town terrorized by something stronger than you. But at least pirates usually only wanted valuables. Once they got what they wanted, they moved on. She wished she could've said the same for the basilisk.

The mayor reappeared, carrying a metal dish filled with some sort of brown food. After closing and locking the door behind him, he placed the dish in front of Chouchou. Abel could tell from the smell that it was dog food. Glancing up, she suddenly realized that the building they'd been in front of all this time was a pet food store. The giant sign saying "Pet Food" was sort of a giveaway.

While Chouchou munched the food, Nami asked, "The dog's name is Chouchou?"

"That's right."

"Why's he the only one left in town?" Luffy asked.

"He's guarding the shop! I just came to feed him."

"Oh!" Nami exclaimed. "So he's a guard dog! For a pet food store..."

The mayor smiled fondly down at the dog. "A good friend of mine owned this store. About ten years ago, he and Chouchou opened this little shop. They've got a lot of memories here. And so do I..." He trailed off, lost in his memories. Out of habit more than anything, he pulled out an old pipe, lit it and took a long drag. The mayor knelt on the other side of Chouchou. He motioned with his head to the dog. "See those wounds... he's been fighting the pirates. Protecting his store..."

Nami scowled. "I'm sure this shop means a lot to his master, but this is just cruel." The poor dog had numerous wounds along his sides and head. Yet he dutifully remained. And based on the fact that the store was intact, he'd probably been doing an excellent job guarding it. "Is he at the refugee shelter with the others?" How could he just abandon his dog while he fled to safety?

"No, he's not..." The mayor's rebuttal quickly halted Nami's temper. A sad expression crossed the mayor's face, and Abel already had a good idea of what he was about to tell them. "He got sick and passed on. He went to the hospital three months ago."

Nami looked down at Chouchou again, but instead of angry she gave him a look of pity. "The poor thing... You mean he's been waiting for his master this whole time?"

"That's what everybody says, but that's not what I think. Chouchou's a smart dog. I think he knows his master is dead."

"Then why does he still guard the store?" Nami asked.

"This is his master's store. It's his treasure. And I think that Chouchou still guards the store because it's all that's left of his beloved master." The mayor let out a long exhale, blowing out smoke. "I've been trying to get him to the shelter. But he won't budge from this spot. He'd rather starve to death than leave his post."

Abel watched Chouchou silent has he licked the dish clean. _Such blind loyalty. You can only find that in the animal kingdom. And maybe in the most noble of humans._ Even among friends and family, such unflinching loyalty was rare to come by. If you experienced it even once in your life, then you were lucky.

A very loud, very bestial roar halted the tender moment. The mayor and Nami jumped in surprise and horror. "What's that horrible roar!?" Nami squeaked.

"I-It must be Mohji, the Lion Tamer! RUN!" Without delay, the mayor and Nami went tearing down the street, trying to get as far away from that place as possible.

But Abel wasn't about to run away. Especially not if it meant leaving Luffy on his own. He couldn't even defend himself while stuck in that cage. As the heavy footsteps got louder, Abel stood and came to stand next to Luffy's cage, hands resting casually on her hips so they could quickly slid down to her crossbows if she needed them. She couldn't see anything yet, but it was getting closer. The gait told her that it was probably a very large animal. While she waited, Luffy sighed and glared sternly at Chouchou. "Something's coming this way! Give me that key, dog!" But Chouchou had already gone back to his statue routine.

Abel waited as this Mohji character appeared. At least she could see where the Lion Tamer nickname came from, because the man rode a giant lion. The lion was almost two feet taller than Abel. It had pale tan fur and an off-white, almost purplish mane. As for Mohji himself, he looked even stranger than the lion. He was a skinny man who apparently had a thing for fur, as he wore a strange white-fur mask that covered his entire head (minus his face) and even had two rounded animal ears on top, a matching sleeveless fur midriff shirt and furry white shoes with claws sticking out at the toes. The only normal thing about him was the pair of blue pants he wore.

Mohji sat atop the lion like it was his own personal furry chariot, seated like he was a sultan or something. He loomed over Abel and Luffy, sneering at them in obvious contempt. The lion growled. A deep sound that rumbled in Abel's chest. She calmly met Mohji's arrogant gaze, not intimidated as she stared up at him. "Well, what have we here...?" Mohji taunted. "I'm Mohji, Buggy's first mate. They call me the Lion Tamer!" As if on cue, the lion growled again. Abel didn't flinch as the displaced air rustled her hair. Mohji laughed at the sight of Luffy still imprisoned. "Looks like Roronoa Zoro abandoned you. And after all that effort to get you this far... Captain Buggy is pretty worked up. You guys stirred up a real hornet's nest."

"Hey, what's with the weird costume?" Abel smiled as Luffy seemed completely unfazed by the fact that he probably looked like a nice packed lunch to the beast in front of them. Or more likely he just didn't realize the danger he was in.

"What!?" Mohji gasped, nearly falling off the lion in shock. "Costume!? This is my hair!"

"Have you never heard of a razor?" Abel asked. How hairy was this man, and why did he only shave in strategic places? _Talk about back hair..._ She almost shivered at the thought. That was just gross. And that's coming from a woman who cut open monsters to study their entrails.

Luffy craned his head to look at Abel through the cage. "Hey Abel, is this guy a monster?"

That was a good question. "Hmm... I don't know." She cocked a hip, tapping one finger against her mouth in thought. "He's certainly not normal..."

"Shut up!" Mohji shouted, a vein of frustration appearing. Why weren't these two taking him more seriously? He smiled darkly at them. "Maybe you think you're safe in that cage..." he reason. "If so, then you really don't know who I am. There's not an animal alive that I can't control. I can even control that mutt." The lion sat down, allowing his master to dismount. Mohji approached Chouchou, who'd been passive this entire time, and held out his hand. "Shake!" he ordered. But all he got was a bite on the hand.

Abel chuckled. "Good boy, Chouchou."

Mohji quickly climbed back onto the lion, trying to act as if he hadn't just gotten mauled by a tiny dog. "You're just nobody thieves..."

"Dog got ya!" Luffy laughed.

Mohji glared at them darkly. "You are nothing to me. Now tell me where Roronoa Zoro is." Abel assumed Mohji wanted to take Zoro would while he was wounded to bolster his own reputation. Miscreants often placed a lot of stock into their reputations.

"No!" Luffy replied stubbornly. Like hell he'd tell him where Zoro was.

"Then die! Get him, Richie!" At the signal, the lion leapt. Abel dived out of the way, but Luffy was trapped. The lion, Richie, landed on the cage with all of his weight. Despite being made of stone and steel, the cage shattered under him as if it were paper mache.

Luffy grasped the opportunity to jump free from his prison. "Hooray! I'm free!" But in his haste to celebrate his freedom, Luffy didn't notice Richie drawing his paw back. The lion smacked him in the stomach, sending him hurtling back and crashing into a nearby building. The building collapsed in an explosion of wood and debris.

"Luffy!" Abel called. She couldn't see anything through the dust.

Mohji glowered at the broke building. "Nobody could survive that. Well, serves his right." He turned his attention to the woman. "I don't recognize you, but you're clearly with the other thief. Tell me where Roronoa Zoro is or you'll wind up like your friend!"

"I don't think so," Abel replied, muscles tensing as she prepared for the attack that was sure to come.

"Then suffer the same fate as your friend! Richie!"

But Abel was ready for him. As the lion drew his paw back, thick claws poised to kill, Abel leapt into the air while tossing out several throwing knives. Two embedded in Richie's outstretched paw, the other stabbed him between the toes on his other front paw. Richie roared in pain, bucking up onto his hind legs. Mohji yelled in outrage as he rolled off the lion's back. Abel landed easily on the roof of the pet food shop before backflipping off behind the building. Her feet barely touched the ground before she was off, running down the street. As much as she wanted to kick that pirate's ass, Luffy was her priority. She took the long way around to avoid the no doubt irate pirate and ran toward where Luffy'd been knocked.

In spite of knowing about Luffy's Devil Fruit power, Abel was still surprised to see Luffy standing behind the demolished building, without a single scratch. Nami and the mayor were already there, yelling at him and demanding to know why he wasn't dead. Abel could only assume that his resilience was thanks to the Gum-Gum Fruit. Rubber was a pretty tough substance. Was Luffy basically indestructible?

Abel watched from a distance as the mayor asked Luffy, "Why did you all come to this town anyway? Why take on the pirates?"

"I just figured out why I'm here," Luffy announced. "I'm after the map of the Grand Line... and a navigator!"

As the three continued to argue (or at least the mayor and Nami continued to tell Luffy he was an idiot for going up against Buggy while Luffy played dumb), Abel caught a strange, acrid odor on the air. Abel took a deep inhaling. _That's definitely smoke_, she thought. She knew that odor well. Looking over the roofs of the buildings, she thought she saw the glow of fire. _That's in the direction of the store..._

Leaving the trio to bicker it out, Abel retraced her steps back to the pet shop. She could easily see the fire as she got closer. When she realized that it was actually the pet shop itself on fire, Abel picked up the pace. She came to a stop just behind the building, as close as she dared. Flames already completely engulfed the store. She doubted anything could save it now. The heat licked at Abel's skin and made her eyes feel dry. _The coward_, she thought. _Picking on a pup just to make himself feel more powerful. He's no better than a school yard bully..._

Any further degradation of the "man's" character came to a screeching halt when Abel heard barking coming from _inside_ the store. Abel's chest clenched. Was Chouchou really inside? What good could he hope to do? But she couldn't just leave him inside. He may be just a dog, but he had the spirit of a human. Maybe even better.

Quickly assessing where the best point of entry would be, Abel shot out a window with her crossbow and dived inside. She tried to arc her body so she wouldn't touch anything. Rolling as she hit the ground, Abel stayed low to the ground and brought a hand up to shield her face. She quickly scanned the room. Plenty of bags of pet supplies, but no dog. Adrenaline was already flooding Abel's veins by that point. Despite the scorching heat, goosebumps broke out on her arms. Abel searched as quickly as she could while trying to avoid getting burned, which was getting increasingly more difficult. The flames were getting higher. Abel was beginning to fear the worst. Then, over the roar of the fire, Abel thought she heard the faint sound of barking and coughing coming from upstairs.

Abel tried to keep her breathing light and steady as she moved quickly up the stairs, squeezing between the flames. She did this, not just to avoid inhaling as much smoke as possible, but also to keep herself calm. It was human nature to panic when caught in an inferno. Survival instinct. Fortunately, humans were capable to overriding instinct. _This would be a lot easier if I had my scarf,_ Abel thought. She tried to focus on her goal, zeroing in on the barking and ignoring everything else. Not an easy task when she was sweating profusely and could see the flames dancing around her feet.

Fortunately, Chouchou's white fur made him easy to spot amongst the flames. The little dog was barking lethargically in what must've been his and his master's room. Abel's heart went out for the poor creature. But she was pretty sure his master didn't want him to die like this. Gently, she scooped up the dog and tucked him under her arm. "Good boy..." she muttered soothingly. Abel jumped when the door frame crashed in behind her. The fire was making the store unstable now. And now her exit was blocked.

Outside, Luffy, Nami and the mayor could only watch in horror as the store continued to burn. If will alone could put out the fire, they would've done it in a heartbeat. But there were powerless.

Watching the blaze, Nami felt rage bubbling up inside her. This scene was all too familiar, and brought back memories she wished she could forget. "Pirates! They're all the same!" Her throat constricted, and she couldn't tell if she felt like crying out of sadness or anger. "They take away what's most precious and laugh!" She rounded on Luffy, who up until this point had watched the fire with a solemn expression. "I ought to kill you right now, before you can get a crew and go pillage some town!" She lunged at Luffy, but the mayor held her back.

"Now, simmer down!" he pleaded. Luffy wasn't to blame for this atrocity.

Luffy stared at Nami for a minute before saying, "You don't stand a chance against me!" He stuck his tongue out at her.

Nami practically grew fangs. "Huh!? Then let's have it out right now!"

Before the one-sided argument could continue, everyone jumped as something came crashing through one of the upstairs windows. Abel landed as gracefully as someone could after jumping out of a burning building. She held Chouchou close to her as she dropped down to her knees. She sighed in relief as the cooler air instantly dried her skin and took a second to let the adrenaline leave her system.

"Abel!" Luffy exclaimed in surprise.

Casting him a sidelong glance, Abel greeted, "Hey Boss."

Choosing to ignore the gawking looks of the other two (she probably was a sight), Abel rose and turned around so Chouchou could face the building. She held him tightly to her chest like a smoldering teddy bear. She could feel him whimper as he watched the last possession of his master burn into ash. Stroking his head with one hand, Abel said in a low voice, "You don't need material things to remember someone. I'm sure your master would prefer for you to stay alive. So long as you're alive, his memory lives on in you." A building was just a building. Chouchou's life was much more valuable than that. And Abel was confident his master would agree.

Nami could only stare dumbfounded at the older woman. _What is going on here?_ she wondered. _First Zoro risks his life to save Luffy. Now she runs into a burning build to save a dog. Who are these people?_ This was not normal pirate behavior.

No one else uttered a word as the fire burnt the store down to nothing. Even after the building was a smoldering pile of ash, no one really knew what to say. What could anyone say to lessen the blow? Chouchou pulled away from Abel at last, and she let him jump down. Casting one last, longing glance at the remains, Chouchou walked slowly away. Hopefully he'd go to the refugee shelter. He had no reason to stay here now.

Abel began to brush some of the ash from her clothes. She was very lucky that she hadn't been burned. Her clothing was slightly singed, mostly around the legs, and she had ash on her arms and face. Fortunately, she'd managed to avoid any broken glass when she jumped out the bedroom window. Other than feeling like she could down a keg of water, she was fine.

Out of the corner of her eye, Abel saw Nami slowly approach Luffy. She looked hesitant at first, before smiling and saying, "Sorry I yelled at you!"

Luffy looked confused for a second before shaking his head. "That's okay. I know you lost someone to pirates. I understand." He chucked lightly. "Not that I want to hear the details or anything."

"How magnanimous of you," Abel mused. Luffy tilted his head as he stared at her, probably because he didn't have the slightest idea what she just said. Nami watched the two with a small smile. Abel thought it was the first time she'd seen the girl genuinely smile. She silently wondered what the fight had been about.

Before Abel could ponder the thief any further, the mayor broke her concentration when he suddenly let out a hearty yell. "I can't stands it no more!" he yelled, throwing his arms into the air in an expression of utter frustration. "I can't stand any more of their cruel bullying! Not after the way Chouchou fought back so bravely! What kind of mayor stands back and watches his town be destroyed!?"

"Mayor, please! Calm down!" Nami urged, beginning to worry the old man was about to do something reckless.

Ignoring her protests, the mayor passionately declared, "Sometimes, a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do! Isn't that right, sonny?"

Luffy was quick to agree, egged on by the mayor's impassioned speech. "That's right! You said it, old man!"

"I'm not so sure you should be encouraging him," Abel drawled, eyeing the way the mayor paced around like some had lit a fire under him. She was all for self-empowerment and standing up for yourself, but she had the distinct impression that the old man was about to do something that could get him killed.

"Forty years of hard work! This place was a wilderness when we got here. At first, it was just a few homes. But slowly our numbers grew. We worked hard, cleared the land. Over time people came and opened up shops." The mayor turned, flinging his arms open wide as he beheld what his town had become. "And look at us now! We're a thriving port! We old timers built this town from nothing! It's our life's work! This town and its people are my treasure!" The trio stared on as the mayor drew his spear. Abel eyed it warily. It looked only slight better than a sharpened stick. Certainly not the sort of weapon for doing what she suspected the mayor was about to do. "I'd be a sorry excuse for a mayor if I didn't try to protect the town! I'm gonna fight!"

As if hearing his declaration, the row of buildings in front of them suddenly exploded in a wave of wooden shrapnel. Nami screamed. Abel brought her hands up shield her face from the debris. The force of the blast sent all of them flying back. Abel mentally cursed as her hip dug into the pavement when she landed roughly. She quickly climbed to her feet again and examined the others. Both Luffy and the mayor had fallen onto their backs. Nami looked like she'd landed on her side. But it looked like the worst any of them had suffered was some shell shock. Stone and wood noisily clattered around them.

The mayor staggered to his feet, looking even more distraught than before. "My house! It's ruined!" That would explain it. But wait...

"Didn't you say you left Zoro in your house?" Abel asked, stomach sinking as she feared the worst for their swordsman.

Aside from the sound of rubble falling, it was silent within the wall of smoke. Abel and Luffy peered tensely into it, hoping for some sign that Zoro was okay. "Hey, Zoro!" Luffy called. "Are you alive!?"

They heard a groan from inside the smoke, and Abel let out a sigh. Groaning at least meant he wasn't dead. Dead men don't make any noise. Unless they were a zombie. But that probably wasn't the case here. As the smoke cleared, they spotted Zoro sitting in the midst of the debris. He was holding his head, but otherwise looked unharmed. Well, at least no more harmed that he'd already been. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that he'd just survived an explosion, Zoro grumbled, "That's one hell of an alarm clock!"

Abel gave a short peal of laughter while a grin stretched across Luffy's face. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "You're alive!"

"How could anyone live through that!?" Nami asked, looking nervous again. Unpredictable _and_ strong... not a good combination for pirates.

"That tears it!" the mayor yelled, pulling everyone's attention away from the swordsman (who just kept sitting on the ground, by the way). "I can't take any more! I won't lose a second town to those sea rat! These pirates show up, think they can do as they please... But I won't let 'em wreck forty years of hard work! It's time to fight!"

He made to run off, but Nami grabbed him and held him back. "Mayor! Wait, please!" She knew that he was no match for Buggy.

"Let me go, girlie!"

Despite his struggling, Nami was able to hold on to him. But it was tough. He was fighting mad. "Getting yourself killed won't accomplish anything!" she tried to reason. At least if he was alive, he could still find a way to help his people. "You're being reckless!"

"I KNOW I'M BEING RECKLESS!" The mayor's outburst stunned Nami so much that she lost her grip on him, allowing him run away. "Buggy the Clown! Prepare to face the mayor!" he cheered as he disappeared, no doubt making a beeline for the pub.

The group watched the mayor until they couldn't see him anymore. "The mayor..." Nami breathed. "... he was crying!" There had been tears in his eyes when he told her he didn't care if he was being reckless. Why?

"It didn't look that way to me!" Luffy said, turning around.

Zoro grinned up at his comrades. He didn't know what had happened while he was sleeping, but he did know one thing. "Things are finally gonna get fun!"

Luffy chuckled. "Yeah!"

"I don't know if 'fun' is the right word for all of this..." Abel mused, crossing her arms over her chest. Interesting, certainly. But maybe not fun.

"This is no laughing matter!" Nami practically shrieked in Abel's ear. Nami looked even more perturbed when Abel's only reaction was to raise an eyebrow at the thief and rub her ringing ear.

Luffy gave the confusingly concerned thief a tooth grin. "Don't worry. I like that old man! I won't let him let killed!"

Nami scowled. "How can you just stand there laughing? What do you get out of this anyway?" These three were pirates after all. They may not be homicidal maniacs like most other pirates, but Nami knew from experience that pirates didn't do anything if they didn't gain from it in some way.

Luffy turned to face Nami fully and set her with a determined expression. "We're headed for the Grand Line!" he told her, brimming with confidence and excitement. "We'll steal that map back, and then we can go there together!" He held a hand up to Nami. "Join up with us! You want the map and all that treasure, right?" It only made sense to Luffy that if they had the same goal, they might as well join up. More heads and all that.

Nami silently stared at Luffy's offered hand for a long time, frowning. With a firm, unwavering voice, she finally said, "I won't become a pirate!" But then she slapped Luffy's palm with her own. "Let's just say we'll 'join forces'... work together for a common goal!" That was good enough for Luffy.

With the thief temporarily on board, the group marched on the pub. But Nami seemed to object to Zoro joining them. "You're not coming too?" she asked him. "What about your wounds?"

"They got better," was all Zoro said, untying his bandana.

"That's impossible!" Nami snapped.

Shrugging off the girl's concern, Zoro grinned wickedly as he tied the bandana over his head. "I'm more worried about my reputation than my guts right now."

Coming along beside him, Abel walked with her hands behind her back and said, "Because who needs silly things like internal organs when you have a bitchin' reputation, right?" Truth be told, while she was slightly concerned over Zoro's condition (no one's wounds healed completely that quickly) he did seem to be doing better than before. He seemed back to his old self.

Zoro cast a stern look Abel's way, until he noticed something. Leaning slightly closer, he asked, "Why do you smell like smoke?" What exactly had been going on when he was asleep? Zoro was beginning to think he'd missed something fun.

Abel shrugged. "What can I say? I was on fire earlier."

Zoro gawked at Able, clearly unable to tell if she was being literal or figurative. Abel nearly laughed at his expression. "I never know whether you're being serious or not," he admitted.

"Then my plan is working."

Zoro just shook his head, giving up on trying to understand the strange woman. "Let's just do this."

Luffy cracked his knuckles. "I can't wait!"

Nami held her head in her hands. She was getting a migraine and they'd only been teamed up for five minutes. How was this partnership going to work? "You're all crazy!"

_To Be Continued..._

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**The next chapter should finish up the Buggy arc. See you guys then.**


	6. Lions, Acrobats & Clowns Oh My!

**Thanks for the reviews & messages. It really keeps me motivated. I'm glad to hear that my writing hasn't gotten too rusty. Sometimes I feel like it comes out stilted. The only thing I've really written in the past few years has been term & research papers, which don't really allow for creativity. I feel like I'm getting back in the swing of things.**

**I'm going to try writing longer chapters. Otherwise I'll end up with hundreds of chapters under this story. So of course that means more time in between chapters. But it'll vary depending on where seems like a good place in the story to break. This chapter ended up being 16 pages.**

**As far as housekeeping goes, I'll try to have at least one more chapter up by next week, but otherwise there will be a short break. Next week I'm actually going away on vacation for the first time in three years rather than just hanging out around home. And I'll probably be raising the rating on this story to M in the future. Mostly for language & violence, but there may be future sexual content. We'll see how it goes. If you're familiar with my previous works, you'll know not to expect any "sexy time" for a while.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or it's characters. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

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By the time the group made it to the pub, the mayor was already up to his neck in trouble. Quite literally. Buggy's disembodied hand had him by the throat and held him several feet off the ground. The mayor squirmed to get free. Fortunately for him, instead of just cutting to the chase, Buggy decided it was a good time to give a speech. "Soon, I shall rule the Grand Line! And all the glittering treasure will be mine!" He continued on about how he would own all the pretty, shiny treasure in the world. Like he was some giant magpie. Honestly, Abel just blocked him out. She ignored him the same way she would a child throwing a tantrum. Buggy was about as logical and coherent as one.

But his speech had riled up the mayor, despite his tenuous situation. "I won't let you wreck this town!" the mayor managed to scream. "Come down and fight me!"

Slipping up unnoticed, Luffy grabbed Buggy's hand and ripped it from the mayor's throat. Buggy glared hatefully down at the group when he spotted them. "The kid in the straw hat!"

The mayor coughed heavily, falling to his knees without Buggy's hand keeping him up. Luffy grinned up at Buggy, clearly challenging him. "I'm back! I told you I'd clobber you!" After holding on to Buggy's hand a moment longer out of spite, Luffy released it to fly back to its owner.

"I don't believe it!" Buggy growled. "You two must enjoy pain! But this time you won't escape me!"

Nami turned to face the pirates. "Have fun fighting, boys. I'm just here for the map and the treasure!"

"Whatever..." Zoro mumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You young whipper-snappers..." Everyone stared down at the mayor as he struggled to regain his composure. "You're outsiders... not your fight!" He coughed a few more times. "This is my battle!" He jerked upright, drawing his spear. The mayor glared at the group. "It's my town and I'll protect it! So don't interfere!"

But before the mayor could do something that would inevitably get him killed, Luffy quickly and unexpectedly settled the matter... by ramming the mayor's face into the side of a building. Everyone just stared, shocked by Luffy's sudden violence. Even Buggy looked surprised. Obviously, the mayor quickly slipped into unconsciousness, slumping to the ground. His glasses were broken and he had a nasty gash on his forehead. Nami cried in outrage. "You-! Whose side are you on!?" she demanded angrily. "Why'd you do that to the mayor!?"

Without missing a beat, Luffy answered, "He was in the way."

"Good thinking," Zoro agreed. "He would have gotten himself killed. He'll be safer unconscious."

Abel crossed her arms loosely. "So you injured the mayor in order to prevent him from getting injured... Brilliant." Luffy's motives were good, but his follow-through, not so much...

But Luffy apparently didn't speak sarcasm, as he just grinned and Abel and said, "Watch this." Ever eager, and maybe a bit apprehensive, to see what Luffy would do next (the boy's brain worked in mysterious ways), Abel and the other watched as Luffy turned back around the face the pub. After taking a deep breath, he shouted, "Hey you! Big nose!"

The Buggy Pirate looked mortified as Luffy once again said the one thing you shouldn't say to Buggy. Nami nearly had a heart attack, Zoro readied himself for the coming fallout, and Abel pinched the bridge of her nose. She honestly wasn't sure if Luffy was deliberately baiting Buggy or if he really was just that stupid.

"KILL HIM!" Buggy shrieked. "GIVE 'EM THE BUGGY BALL!" The pirates quickly complied, firing one of the special cannonballs at the group.

Zoro, Abel and Nami were quick to get out of the line of fire, but Luffy didn't seem to have any intention to leave. "You idiot!" Nami yelled as she tried to find cover. "Don't you know when to shut up!?"

"Luffy! Get out of the way!" Zoro yelled when he saw his captain was immobile. "You're gonna get hit!"

But Luffy merely grinned. "That measly cannonball's not gonna work on me! Gum-Gum..." Luffy took a deep breath. "Balloon!" Luffy's torso suddenly inflated like a giant air bag. The Buggy Ball hit him dead in the stomach. But instead of exploding on impact, like they expected, Luffy's body bent in on itself before catapulting the cannonball right back at them.

"What the hell is that guy!?" Buggy shouted in shock. "He took a direct hit from a Buggy Ball! And he bounced it back!"

"You could have at least told us what you were planning..." Zoro griped, holding his hand to his head in frustration.

The pirates screamed when the Buggy Ball hit the pub, exploding the building. It wasn't like they had anywhere else to go. Luffy grinned broadly as the building collapsed around them. "That evens the odds a little!" he said, adjusting his hat. "Let's get 'em!" But at the moment, there weren't any pirates to fight, as they were all buried under the wreckage of the pub.

"What are you!?" Nami shrieked from where she'd fallen on the ground in her haste to escape.

"Made me worry for nothing..." Zoro growled.

_So he really is almost indestructible..._ Abel mused. _He can bounce any projectile back, withstand massive impacts... Is drowning the only thing he has to worry about?_ Of course she'd noticed his skills in fighting back with the basilisk. But now Abel was starting to realize just what a force Luffy could be. Maybe his dream of being the Pirate King weren't so far-fetched after all.

"Wow, I knew there was something strange about you," Nami said, glaring at Luffy suspiciously. "What kind of human being could do that!? How can you inflate yourself like a balloon!?"

"That was the Gum-Gum Balloon!" Luffy replied proudly.

But clearly Nami wasn't looking for what the technique was called. "But how do you do it!?" she demanded.

Before Luffy could explain, a clatter from the demolished pub drew everyone's attention. Three figures stood from the rubble, but it didn't look like it was their choice. Three men dangled in view as they were held by someone from behind. "You've got some nerve..." Buggy and one of his men peeked out from behind their human shields to glare contemptuously at the group.

"He's using his own men as shields..." Nami gasped. Indeed, the two appeared completely unharmed, the men they'd used saving them from the blast.

Abel crossed her arms. "We couldn't expect it to be that easy."

"Cap'n," the newcomer said. He was a tall, skinny man with black hair that was long enough on the left side to completely cover his face but kept short on the right, as well as having three shaved streaks on the right side. He wore white trousers, a long, brown, sleeveless coat, a blue-and-white checkered scarf that trailed behind him, black shoes and a white sash around his waist. "This is the worst disgrace we've suffered since you formed our crew."

Buggy scowled as he dropped his two meat shields. "I'm so mad, I can't even speak..." he growled.

"Captain Buggy, what's going on!?"

Mohji and Richie came running down one of the side streets that intersected in front of the pub. They'd probably been looking for Zoro when they heard the commotion and came to check it out. The duo skidded to a halt and gawked at the scene before them. Understandable, given the state of both the pub and their crew. It looked like only Buggy and the scarf-man were still on their feet. "What happened here!?" Mohji shouted.

"Mohji..." Buggy's voice was calm yet obviously irritated. The beast tamer started to sweat as he met his captain's hard glare. "I thought you were going to finish off Roronoa Zoro. So what is he doing standing over there!?"

Mohji flinched, and Richie whimpered. When they turned to face the others, apparently not having noticed them standing there when he first showed up, Mohji's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "It's the kid in the straw hat! How did you survive!? Richie should've killed you!"

Luffy grinned mischievously at them. "That's not enough to kill me," he taunted smugly. "'Cause I'm a rubber man!"

The pirates stared, unsure of what that was supposed to mean. "Rubber man?"

"A what?" Nami asked, leaning closer to Luffy.

Instead of explaining things, Luffy decided it would be easier to just show them. He grabbed both sides of his face and stretched them, pulling him cheeks farther than any normal human could. "See?" he asked. Nami jerked back in response, covering her mouth as she gasped. Abel couldn't help but smile as she thought of what Nami's response would be when she saw Luffy stretch his arm out for the first time. If that was her reaction to just Luffy's face stretching, she might just pass out.

Things started to click into place in Buggy's mind. There was only one thing that could've given Luffy such a strange ability. "The Devil Fruit!" he realized. "That's why my Buggy Ball bounced off of him!" It looked like they'd have to take a different approach to taking out the brat, as cannons clearly weren't going to work. No, this was going to require a more personal touch. Buggy turned to Mohji, who flinched again at the dark look his captain was giving him. Failure was never taken lightly among the Buggy Pirates. "Mohji," he breathed, his tone barely hiding the threat. "I'll give you another chance to take care of these thieves. But if you fail me again...!"

Mohji didn't need him to say any more. "Yes, Captain Buggy!" Mohji jabbed a finger at the group. "Now that we know you've eaten a Devil Fruit, we won't underestimate you! Richie, take them out!"

At his master's command, Richie growled angrily at the rival group. With a mighty roar, he charged straight at Luffy. But before he could get close enough to attack, Abel drew her crossbows and fired several shots rapidly at the lion. Richie ducked out of reflex, halting in his charge to assess the person between him and his prey.

Abel eyed the lion steadily, keeping her crossbows trained on him. Mohji looked more than somewhat annoyed at her interference. "Stay out of this, girl!" he demanded. "Unless you want to face Richie's might!"

Abel's face was the picture of serene determination. "I find it difficult to feel threatened by a man who kicks puppies." Her head tilted slowly to the side, eyeing the man with thinly veiled contempt. "I'm sure there's a special place in Hell reserved for people like you. Right next to the people who steal from widows and orphans." Behind her, Luffy and Zoro were laughing while Nami looked like she wanted to bolt, thinking these people were too crazy to understand the danger they were in.

Mohji fumed. "Don't underestimate us! Tear her to pieces Richie!"

Richie charged at Abel like a crazed bull. But instead of getting out of the way, Abel ran forward to meet him. When he was close enough, Richie leapt into the air, clearly intending to land on Abel. But Abel shifted her weight back, using her momentum to slide along the ground under the lion. As Richie landed, tearing up chunks of pavement with his claws, Abel dug one heel into the ground. This caused her to spin around to face in his direction. Still on the ground, she fired several bolts at the lion. A few grazed his legs and shoulders, but Richie dodged most of them. He was surprisingly fast for such a large animal.

Again, he lunged at Abel. She managed to roll out of the way just in time to avoid being trampled. Abel scrambled to her feet, but found herself having to twist away from Richie's claws. Turning in ways that looked unnaturally easy for her, Abel narrowly avoided Richie's slashes and even a few bite attempts. But Abel didn't like being so close to her enemy. _I need some distance_, she thought. She preferred to keep her enemies at a distance, not going at it hand-to-hand... or hand-to-paw, in this case.

Growing more agitated by the second, Richie stood up on his hind legs and swatted at Abel's head. She went down to one knee, avoiding the hit but still feeling the bottom of his paw brushing her hair. But in her position, she didn't have time to move as Richie swung his other paw down at her. Abel cried out as his claws dug into the back of her left shoulder.

"Abel!" Luffy shouted.

"He's got her now!" Nami cried, covering her mouth with her hands in fear for the other woman.

Zoro didn't say anything, but he did grit is teeth and reach for his sword. Neither he nor Luffy wanted to interfere with Abel's fight, but if it looked like she was in trouble they would happily come to her assistance. He believed in letting others fight their own battles as long as they were able to.

Mohji laughed triumphantly as Richie pressed down on Abel, digging his claws in deeper to her shoulder, almost pushing her to the ground under his massive weight. "Finish her off, Richie!"

But Abel wasn't about to be beaten by a lion after she'd survived a freaking basilisk. "I think not!" she growled. With her free hand, Abel dropped her crossbow and pulled a throwing knife from her satchel. She stabbed the knife into Richie's offending paw, right into the sensitive skin between his toes. Richie roared in pain, instinctively drawing his paw back, opening up Abel's shoulder to bleed freely.

Taking a fraction of a second to catch her breath, Abel snatched up her abandoned crossbow and used it to pistol whip (so to speak) Richie across the maw. As the lion staggered back, Abel vaulted over him. She twisted as she landed behind him. Then she vaulted backwards, using her good arm to guide her, putting some much-needed distance between her and the lion.

As she stood up, Abel heard Luffy asked behind her, "Abel, do you need us to take care of this?"

"Don't trouble yourself," she replied calmly. Her shoulder burned and bled steadily, but not so heavily that she felt she should be concerned about blood loss.

Mohji laughed haughtily at the archer. "Foolish girl!" he taunted. "Spare me your false confidence!"

"I'm confident because I'm about to de-fang you kitten," Abel replied easily. She reached for the buckle holding her bolero and unhooked it, pulling the garment over her head. Holding it in one hand, Abel used her other to beckon Richie. "Come on, pussy cat."

Richie was pretty expressive for an animal, and the look on his face was pure murder. He roared, ready to take Abel up on her challenge, and rushed at her. Abel noticed he had a slight limp on his injured paw. Abel bided her time, waiting with what could only be described as unmoving alertness. Right when he was within range, she leapt, taking Richie by surprise and landing on his head. Faster than he could react, she wrapped the bolero around his muzzle and bucked it tightly. Richie skidded to a stop. Luffy, Zoro and Nami had to dive out of the way before he plowed straight into them. Richie pawed at the binding, but his large claws couldn't get a grip on the satin fabric. He growled pathetically, unable to open his mouth.

"Richie!" Mohji shrieked, realizing his pet had been effectively muzzled.

Richie saw red, and began to buck like a raging bull at a rodeo, trying to throw Abel off his neck. But Abel's hands sunk deeply into the lion's mane and she moved her body with his, preventing her from being thrown. Behind them, Luffy cheered at the display. "Woo! Ride 'im, Abel!"

Fed up with his passenger, Richie tried a more desperate plan. He ran towards the nearest building, head tilted down, clearly intent on ramming Abel into the wall. He hit the wall hard enough to shatter it, half of his body disappearing in the hole. Dust flew up everywhere, blocking their view.

"Abel!" Zoro shouted, fearing the worst.

"Yes?"

The pirates gaped as the dust settled, revealing Abel dangling safely from the windowsill directly above Richie's crash site. She hung by one hand, feet planted securely to the wall. She'd jumped at the last second, preventing any injury. Richie lay sprawled out, feet sticking out from the hole. It looked like he was down for the count.

Luffy cheered, Nami looked surprisingly relieved, and Zoro smirked as Abel dropped to the ground. But one person wasn't so happy. "Richie!" Mohji shouted, rushing to check on his KO'ed lion. Abel walked past him, unconcerned.

But the sound of rubble moving prompted her to look over her shoulder. Richie was staggering to his feet. But he didn't look like he realized what he was doing. His eyes glazed over. Stumbling forward slightly, he rose unsteadily onto his hind legs. Abel frowned slightly as she whipped around, drawing both crossbows. Placing one over the other, she aimed for the lion's exposed belly. "Tri Bolt!" After the whirling of gears, she fired three bolts simultaneously from the crossbows. The bolts fanned out from each other in a line. All six bolts struck him in the chest.

Richie groaned as he sagged before teetering backwards. "Richie, no!" Mohji exclaimed as the lion towered over him. But he wasn't fast enough to get out of the way before the lion landed on him, taking them both to the ground. Mohji groaned from under Richie's unconscious body. He tried to drag himself out from under the lion, but it was no use. He was too heavy to move.

Abel noticed a loose-hanging slab dangling above them. With one last shot, she knocked the slab loose and it fell on Mohji's head, knocking him as unconscious as his lion.

All things considered, Abel felt she'd done well. She'd scraped her back when she'd slid along the ground, and her shoulder burned but the bleeding had slowed. She raised her head and grinned at Luffy. "Not a bad break-out into the pirate world, don't you think?" Luffy laughed and gave her a thumbs-up.

A sudden thud caused Abel to look past her crew plus one. Cabaji was heading straight towards her. And he was riding a... unicycle? Regardless of the unconventional transport, he seemed to have no trouble on it as he sped at her, glaring her down with a saber drawn. "Buggy's second mate, Cabaji the Acrobat!" he introduced with much vigor. "I'll cut 'em to mincemeat, Cap'n!"

Abel raised her crossbows, but before Cabaji could strike, Zoro jumped in the way. With one sword raised, he easily blocked the saber before it could harm Abel. Zoro's sharp eyes glared out from the shadow of his bandana, staring at his opponent over his blade. "If it's a sword duel you want, I'm your man!" Abel'd done her part, now it was his turn.

"Roronoa Zoro, as one swordsman to another, it will be an honor to cut you down," Cabaji said, actually sounding sincere.

Seeing that Zoro had the situation covered, Abel holstered her crossbows and moved to stand with Luffy and Nami. While she did so, she eyed Zoro's side warily. She hoped he'd be okay. Luffy must've been thinking the same thing, because he said, "Hey, Zoro! Maybe you should rest. Let me handle him." But it didn't look like Zoro was going to relent. He didn't seem like the sort to back out of a fight.

Not that he'd have had time to, because before anyone could react Cabaji pulled his scarf down. "Acrobat technique: The Breath of Death!" He spit out a fireball right at Zoro's face. Zoro staggered backwards, completely unprepared. While he brought his arm up to shield himself, Cabaji drew back his foot. And then he kicked Zoro as hard as he could. Right in his wounded side. Luffy gasped. Nami winced and covered her eyes. Abel's eyes narrow.

Zoro cried out in pain as he fell on his back, gasping for air. "Damn it!"

"Hmm... I didn't think I kicked you that hard," Cabaji gloated.

"That's dirty!" Nami growled. "You're aiming for his injuries!" It was despicable.

Ignoring her protests, Cabaji stabbed his saber into the ground. "Acrobat Technique: Murder at the Steam Bath!" He spun his saber rapidly, causing dust to fly up and obscure the area.

"What kind of circus trick is that?" Zoro grumbled, sitting up and preparing himself for the next attack. "You're just kicking up dust!" He was ready when Cabaji lunged, blocking his saber with his two swords. But once both hands were occupied, he could do nothing but stare on in horror and frustration as Cabaji pulled his foot back again. And once again, he kicked Zoro right in the side. Zoro screamed as the kick sent him rolling across the pavement. He ended up on his stomach, gasping in pain, body shaking.

"He did it again!" Nami yelled. For someone who claimed she had no stake in this fight, she seemed pretty emotionally involved.

"What's wrong?" Cabaji asked in mock concerned, leaning his saber against his shoulder. He teetered playfully on the unicycle. "What kind of man screams like a woman? Your matey's odd talents caused us quite a bit of trouble. So you're the big scary Pirate Hunter. Well, this'll teach you to mess with Cap'n Buggy's crew."

"Stop gloating," Abel interrupted. She set Cabaji with a stern look. "Don't act like you've actually injured Zoro when all you've done is poke at the wounds your captain caused." Cabaji said nothing, probably because she was right, but he sent a glare her way regardless.

As Zoro painstakingly pushed himself up, Nami turned to Luffy and Abel and yelled, "Zoro's hurt bad! How's he supposed to fight!? How can you just stand there and watch your friend get killed!?" Abel had nothing to say, but Luffy kept staring straight ahead being uncharacteristically solemn.

Apparently thinking he was going to finish Zoro off while he was down, Cabaji flourished his saber. "Roronoa Zoro! Prepare to be well done!"

But while he'd been gloating, Zoro'd already gotten to his feet. Catching the other swordsman off guard, Zoro hit Cabaji with the base of his sword, knocking him off his unicycle. Everyone (minus Buggy, naturally) was pleasantly surprised by this. Zoro glared down at the other swordsman. "You're a very annoying person..." He flipped one of his swords around so it pointed at the ground. "I hope you enjoyed kicking my wound..." What Zoro did next left everyone speechless. With his flipped sword, he slashed himself across the torso, opening his wounded side up even further. Blood sprayed from the wound, pouring down his pants leg.

"What!?" Cabaji gasped. "He cut himself!?"

Nami covered her mouth to stop a scream. Luffy visibly winced. Abel's lips parted in surprise. Why would Zoro injure himself?

Zoro slowly released the breath he'd been holding. As he straightened up, he drew his third sword. The solid white one. Abel didn't know much about swords, but something told her this one was special. It had a simple design, but it somehow felt more special than his other two, which looked like run-of-the-mill swords to Abel. Plus, it was the only one he ever seemed to put in his mouth. Which, come to think of it, was a very odd way to wield a sword. Abel tilted her head in thought. _How did I not notice that before?_ She was certain he'd used all three swords in the fight with the basilisk, but she hadn't really noticed. She guessed she'd been too focused on the basilisk for his technique to sink in. Was that classic male mentality? If one's good, two's better? So by that logic three is excellent.

"My goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman," Zoro explained. He stared at Cabaji, dead serious, as he placed the white sword between his teeth. "Is that enough of a handicap for you? Now I'll show you some real swordplay."

"Wow! Zoro's cool!" Luffy cheered, clearly impressed with his first mate.

Cabaji's expression was a strange mix of outrage and nervousness. How can you not be nervous when facing someone who'd willingly injure himself? "So, Roronoa Zoro... you want to make a fool out of me?" The two swordsmen stared each other down. The only noise was that of Zoro's steadily dripping blood.

Nami held her hand to her forehead. She looked ill. "I'm feeling faint just watching this!"

Luffy, however, had a much different reaction. "Get 'im, Zoro!"

Abel steadily looked from Zoro to his bleeding side. Her scarf couldn't soak up all the blood. "Zoro, next time you want to tear something up for the sake of your machismo, make sure you actually own it." Abel had the distinct impression that Zoro was trying not to roll his eyes. Truthfully, she was slightly concerned about the man. Not so much about his wound, but that his pride would get him in trouble one day.

"I can't lose, not even once, to anyone who calls himself a swordsman!" Zoro declared. How did he talk so clearly around a sword handle?

Cabaji chuckled, but it sounded shaky. Unsure. "So you injured yourself as insurance for your reputation. Well, don't worry. Your wounds are severe. They'll make an excellent excuse when you lose."

"It's the other way around!" Zoro retorted, holding his two black swords out to the side, both pointing at the ground. "If I lose to the likes of you when my wounds are only this light, then I may as well give up my dream right now."

Cabaji smiled, but it looked forced. "You scurvy dog!" The two resumed their stare down.

"Hey!" Abel blinked, turning to Nami as she'd broken the tension. Nami placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. When Luffy glanced at her, Nami pointed a small building behind the destroyed pub. "That shack behind the ruins of the tavern? That's where they keep their treasure. And Buggy's probably got the map of the Grand Line. I'll get their treasure and make my escape. I've got to do it now, while they're all knocked out. Whether you guys win or lose this battle, I really don't care!" Luffy and Abel watched as Nami walked away from them carelessly. But before she disappeared, Nami turned and gave them a sly smile. "But if you do get that map from Buggy, then - and only then - will I consider teaming up with you again."

Abel raised a brow. "And what exactly have you contributed to this foray that qualifies as 'teaming up'?" she asked. She actually wasn't being mean-spirited or sardonic. Abel honestly didn't see Nami having done anything but yell at them. You have to actually do something that benefits the common goal to be part of a team.

Nami tossed Abel a sour look, to which Abel just stared back evenly, before shrugging and jogging off. But not before calling in a sing-song voice, "Good luck, guys! See ya!"

"Okay, thanks," Luffy called back, completely oblivious to the fact that they'd been ditched.

_Easy come, easy go I guess..._ Abel mused before turning back to the fight.

Apparently done staring each other down, Cabaji pulled a bunch of spinning tops out of his coat. "Roronoa Zoro! Have a taste of the greatest of all my circus tricks! Acrobat Technique: The Dance of a Hundred Kamikaze Tops!" He flung handfuls of the spinning tops at Zoro. Then, while Zoro was occupied, Cabaji literally rode his unicycle up the side of a nearby building. "Acrobat Technique: A Hike in the Mountains." As Cabaji climbed the walls, Zoro sliced the tops into half when they got close. But that was just a distraction to Cabaji's real plan.

Once he reached the roof, Cabaji used his unicycle to leap into the air. "Acrobat Technique: Fireworks in the Cool Summer Breeze."

"Wow! He's way up there!" Luffy murmured, having to shield his eyes to see the man properly.

Cabaji hovered in the air directly over Zoro. He held his saber in both hands, pointing it down. Clearly, he intended to stab Zoro from above. "Sting of the Unicycle!"

"Low Flying Chop-Chop Cannon!" Not content to let his men handle things (maybe because so far they'd only proven their incompetence), Buggy shot one of his hands at Zoro. As it flew close to the ground, Buggy shouted, "Cabaji! I'll hold Zoro down! You finish him off!"

"With pleasure!"

"Damn!" Zoro growled. He could deal with Cabaji, but if Buggy held him in place it would be a major pain.

"Luffy," Abel warned, already reaching for her crossbow.

But Luffy was on the move before she needed to say anything else. He stomped his foot down on Buggy's hand, pinning it to the ground before he could touch Zoro. Buggy shrieked in pain. "Luffy!" Zoro gasped.

Luffy smirked up at Buggy aggressively. "Keep your mitts out of Zoro's duel!" he warned. Zoro gave Luffy a smirk in thanks.

"You little..."

Cabaji scoffed. "I don't need the captain to lend me a hand to kill you!"

Zoro jumped to the side just as Cabaji came down, his saber stabbing harmlessly into the ground. Cabaji smirked as Zoro stumbled, falling to his knees. Zoro was clearly feeling fatigued. This fight would be over soon. Zoro panted as he pushed himself up. "I've had enough... I'm tired..."

"You're tired?" Cabaji laughed. "What's wrong? Anemic? So you've finally given up! Well, I'm not surprised. It's amazing you can still stand in your condition-"

Zoro kicked the unicycle out from under Cabaji before he could even finish. The man stared up at Zoro in surprise. Zoro's eyes took on a crazed look. "You've got it wrong. What I'm tired of are your stupid circus tricks!"

This had Cabaji on his feet in an instant, furious. "Very well! No more tricks! I'll finish you now with my real swordsmanship!

As Cabaji neared, Zoro crossed his arms, holding his swords straight up. "Oni Giri!" He slashed at Cabaji, cutting him three times across the chest. The acrobat stumbled.

"Cabaji!" Buggy exclaimed.

"Damn it...!" Cabaji choked out. "How could these common thieves have beaten us? We're the Buggy Pirate gang - the scourge of the seas! How could things have gone this far...?

Zoro finally relaxed as Cabaji collapsed, defeated. He felt fatigue pressing in. His eyelids drooped. "We're not common thieves," he said, even though the man was unconscious. Zoro pulled his bandana off. "We're pirates!" With that dramatic declaration, Zoro fell to the ground. He didn't even bother picking up his swords. His injuries were finally catching up with him, but at least there was no need for him to muscle through it now. Zoro sluggishly looked over at Luffy. "Luffy... I'm going to sleep now."

"Go ahead and sleep!" Luffy agreed, stretching his arm out for the final showdown. The only pirate left standing was Buggy. And it was only right that captain fight captain. "I'll take it from here!"

"You guys call yourselves pirates!?" Buggy shouted.

"That's right!" Luffy replied, like it was obvious from the beginning. "Now hand over the map of the Grand Line!"

Buggy scowled at the rubber boy. "So that's what you're after," he muttered. "Well, a couple of lily-livered, no-name pirates like you won't last a day on the Grand Line! What do you plan to do there!? Go sight-seeing!?"

"I'm gonna become the Pirate King," Luffy said simply.

Buggy made some weird noise that sounded like he was trying to laugh and choke at the same time. "Don't be a fool!" he shrieked, coming to his senses. "If you're King of the Pirates, then what am I!? God of the Pirates!? The world's treasure will be mine! So forget it!"

"Shut up!" Luffy said, dropping into a fighting stance. "Skip the lecture and let's start! I'm getting bored."

Buggy pulled out two sets of daggers, holding one between each finger. "You'll soon regret your words, rubber boy!" A very dark expression crossed Buggy's face. "You and your straw hat remind me of _him_ when he was younger. That insolent dog with the red hair!"

"... Red hair!? You talkin' about Shanks? You know Shanks!?"

Buggy titled his head. "Hmm..." He considered the boy for a moment. "You seem real interesting... Yes, I know him. What's it to you?"

"Where is he now?" Luffy asked.

Abel watched the two captains having their stare down. She was careful to stay as far from the fight as she felt comfortable. She had a feeling that a battle between two Devil Fruit-powered pirates was going to get a bit crazy, and she didn't want to get caught in the middle of it. But she had no idea who they were talking about. Clearly it was someone Luffy knew. Probably someone important to him, who he hadn't seen in a while.

"So you want to know where he is, eh?" Buggy rubbed his chin, grinning at the thought of having information that Luffy seemed eager to have. "Well, maybe I know... then again, maybe I don't," he teased.

Luffy stared blankly at Buggy. "What are you talking about?" he asked slowly. "Are you an idiot?"

"Watch your tongue, boy!"

Shaking her head slightly, Abel commented, "I think he's just playing with you Luffy." When her captain stared at her over his shoulder, she added, "He might know, but I doubt he's going to just give you whatever information you want."

"That's right!" Buggy agreed, holding his daggers up threateningly. "We're mortal enemies! You won't get any information from me without a fight! Not even as a departing gift to Hell."

Luffy didn't seem to have a problem with that. "Well, I'm willing to beat it out of you," he said, grinning as he dropped lower into his stance.

Buggy laughed at Luffy's confidence and straight-forward attitude. "You'll be dead before you get one word out of me!" He stomped his feet on the ground, triggering two short blades to poke out from the toes. He held one foot up, showing off the small but very sharp blade. "Not even rubber can withstand a razor-sharp blade!"

"Maybe so..." Luffy said, looking slightly worried for a change.

_So he does have a weakness, then..._ Abel thought. She guessed it made sense. Rubber may bounce back, but it could still be cut.

"Chop-Chop Buzzsaw!" Cutting his own torso in half with his daggers, Buggy's legs came hurtling at Luffy, spinning rapidly. Luffy jumped up, letting the legs pass under him. Abel pressed herself against the side of a building as the legs flew past her, narrowly avoiding the leg-saw. Still just a floating torso, Buggy growled, "Let's see you dodge these in midair!" He threw all eight daggers at Luffy while he was still airborne.

But Luffy just said, "No problem!" He stretched his arm out, grabbing the support beam for a nearby porch. Retracting his body to his hand, he pulled himself out of the way of the daggers. All the while, grinning like he was having the time of his life. But knowing Luffy, he probably was.

Buggy must've felt the same way, because he too was laughing. "Not bad! This is getting interesting!" His legs reattached themselves.

"Sure is!" Luffy agreed as he landed. He pulled his arm back. "Gum-Gum Pistol!" Luffy's fist flew at Buggy's face. But the clown just leaned to the side, avoiding it.

"Interesting power you've got there!" Buggy complimented even as he eyed Luffy's outstretched arm with clear deviousness. He pulled two more daggers out of his coat. "But your outstretched arm makes a delicious target!" Focused exclusively on Luffy's arm, he didn't notice Luffy's hand grabbed the windowsill of a building behind him. "I'll just sever it!"

Luffy picked his feet off the ground, letting his arm pull the rest of his body. "Gum-Gum..." Buggy's head snapped up in surprise, gasping as Luffy came hurtling at him. Luffy held out his other arm.

Buggy had to think fast. "Chop-Chop Quick Dodge!"

"... Sickle!" Luffy clotheslined Buggy... or he would have had Buggy's head not popped off at the last second, causing Luffy to sail harmless past him and crash into the pub's rubble.

Abel shook her head as Buggy's gloating head reattached itself. _This is the tripiest fight I've ever seen._ Abel expected she'd be seeing a lot more crazy stuff like this. People with Devil Fruit powers were rare here in the East Blue. In fact, Luffy was the first person she'd ever met that she could genuinely say had Devil Fruit powers. But she'd heard the rumors. A lot of the most powerful pirates and Marines had eaten Devil Fruits. Despite the massive drawbacks, especially for people who lived on the sea, for most the powers they offered were just too tempting. Abel estimated they'd probably be running into a lot more Devil Fruit users, especially the deeper they got in the Grand Line.

Luffy scowled mildly as he pulled himself from the rubble, straightening his hat. "How am I supposed to whack you when you keep flying to pieces?" he asked. He actually sounded like he expected Buggy to give him the answer.

He didn't, of course. Instead, he aimed his hand, with four more daggers (how many knives was he hiding in that coat?) at Luffy. "Chop-Chop Harpoon!" He fired his arm at Luffy like a cannon. Luckily, Luffy caught his arm by the forearm with the daggers barely an inch from his face. "Separate!" Buggy's arm sectioned again, this time at the wrist. His hand shot at Luffy's face. Luffy managed to move to the side enough to avoid getting stabbed directly, but the daggers still cut into his face as they flew by. Likely more in surprise than anything else, Luffy fell backwards, almost landing on his head.

Abel watched tensely as Luffy didn't get up immediately. Was he injured worse than she'd thought? Instead of bouncing back like usual, Luffy slowly rolled up. With strange deliberateness, Luffy pulled his straw hat off his head and stared down at it, sitting amongst the rubble. From where she stood, Abel tried to see what was wrong. But aside from a small, bleeding cut on his temple, Luffy didn't look hurt.

After a quiet moment, Luffy's eyes snapped up as he glared at Buggy with pure hate. "Damn you!"

"Whatsa matter? Baby get a boo boo?" Buggy asked mockingly.

By this point, Luffy was practically seething. "That does it! You nicked my hat!"

"So?" Buggy asked, looking confused now.

Luffy's eyes grew wild. "This is my treasure! Nobody damages this hat!"

Abel jumped slightly. She hadn't thought it possible for Luffy to be that angry. He seemed pretty childish and easy-going most of the time. _But I guess even Luffy can get angry when it comes to something he cares about_. For him to become that angry, that hat must have a lot of sentimental value.

"It's that important to you, eh?" Buggy asked, and Abel didn't like the sound of his voice. He was up to something. Something nasty.

"That's right!"

Abel spotted Buggy's hand hovering behind Luffy. "Luffy, behind you!" she warned, drawing a crossbow. So what if Luffy got mad at her for interfering? As far as she was concerned all bets were off when the enemy started fighting dirty.

Fortunately, Luffy heeded her warning. His eyes widened as he looked over his shoulder to see Buggy's disembodied hand throw one of its daggers. Luffy ducked his head just as the dagger flew past him. But in doing so, he threw himself off-balance. And that's when Buggy struck. His hand flew at the rubber boy. But his aim obviously wasn't Luffy. "You should take better care of it!" Buggy yelled smugly right before the hand impaled Luffy's hat with all three daggers.

Luffy looked horrified as his damaged hat floated to Buggy's disrespectful gripe. _Do me a favor... keep this hat safe for me?_

Buggy laughed uproariously. He held the hat aloft, still impaled on the daggers. "You call this beat up old thing your treasure!?"

Abel watched as Luffy stood. If she thought he was mad before, he must be livid now. His entire body shook. He grit his teeth so tightly that she feared he'd shatter them. _This hat means a lot to me. Promise that you'll give it back to me someday, when you've become a great pirate._ Luffy charged at Buggy, head down. "I promised I'd return that hat to Shanks!"

"What? This is Shank's hat?" Buggy gave the hat a disgusted look before tossing it to the ground. "I thought it looked familiar." Then, to add insult to injury, Buggy spat on the hat. "Shanks and I worked on the same pirate ship a long time ago. We were both young... apprentice pirates, you might say."

Every word Buggy uttered just seemed to make Luffy that much more furious. "Shanks is a great man! Apprentice pirates... together?"

Seeing Luffy intended to punch him again, Buggy shouted, "Chop-Chop Quick Escape!" His head started to float away...

But it didn't matter when Luffy punched him as hard as he could in the stomach. "Don't put yourself on the same level as him!"

Buggy crumpled to the ground, even his head falling limply at his side. Apparently it didn't matter if his body was connected or not. He could still feel everything that happened.

Leaving the other pirate lying on the ground, trying to regain his breath, Luffy stared down morosely at his battered hat. "Darn you! You ruined my hat!" He scooped it up gingerly, turning it about to study the damage. His nose crinkled. "And you spat on it!" He rubbed the hat against Buggy's face, trying to remove the spit without touching it himself.

"Yech! Sthop it!"

"It's your own spit!" Setting the hat out of the way, Luffy grabbed Buggy by the cheeks and hauled him up to glare at him face-to-face. "Don't ever mention Shanks and yourself in the same breath again!" he growled.

Buggy squirmed as Luffy pulled his cheeks as hard as he could, but he still managed to glare hatefully at Luffy. "I don't know what your connection to Shanks is, but I'll say whatever I like about him! Chop-Chop-"

"Don't come apart!" Luffy yelled, punching Buggy in the face, effectively slamming his head back in place.

As the two pirates scuffled on the ground, Abel could only assume the "Shanks" they were arguing over was "Red-haired Shanks." Abel'd never cared much about the pirate life, so she never took an interest in learning about them - although she would probably have to rectify that now. But even she'd heard of Red-haired Shanks. Captain of the Red Hair Pirates. One of the Yonko - the Four Emperors - the four most powerful pirate captains in the world, able to make even the World Government nervous. But unlike most pirates, Shanks actually had an honorable reputation. Or at least as honorable as a pirate could have. At least he wasn't known for pillaging. Abel wondered what Luffy's connection with him was.

Turning back to the situation at hand, Abel found that the two men had separated and were back on their feet, staring at each other again. "Never in my life has anyone made me as angry as Shanks did!" Buggy was saying. "That scalawag stole a great treasure from me!" He stared off into space, seething that the memory. "I'll never forgive him for that. We were both young pirates on the same ship, long ago. But Shanks was far too soft to make a proper pirate. More concerned with his romantic ideas than looting. Then, one day, I found a map while we were raiding a ship. A map to a vast fortune sunken deep on the ocean floor! I couldn't stop shaking! My first real treasure map! I had to keep it a secret. It was only for me to find! That night, Shanks told me they'd found a Devil Fruit on the ship. I wanted nothing to do with it. Losing the ability to swim would've made it impossible for me to find that treasure! But when I learned how much money some people will pay just to get their hands on a fruit, I quickly devised a brilliant plan! Between the Devil Fruit and the treasure, I'd be rich! I'd be able to start my own crew and find even more treasure! I switched the Devil Fruit with a normal fruit and ate it in front of the crew, pretending it was the real thing. But then that idiot Shanks interfered, causing me to swallow the real fruit and drop my map. Unthinking, I dived after it, but the Devil Fruit had already changed my body. I couldn't even move! Shanks had to come in after me!" By the time he'd finished his story, Buggy shook with rage. "I swallowed a hundred million berries! Now I can't swim, so I can't get that treasure on the ocean floor!"

"So Shanks saved your life!" Luffy finished.

"SO WHAT!?" Clearly that wasn't the point of the story, at least to Buggy. "It was all his fault! He foiled my grandiose plans! So I changed my plans. If I can't get treasure that's _in_ the sea, I'll just have to take all the treasure _on_ the sea-" Buggy's torso split again, and his upper half rose high into the air. "Using my Chop-Chop power!" He glared down at something in the distance. "I don't care how insignificant a fly you might be, if you put your hands on my treasure..." Buggy flew past Luffy. "I'll squash you!" Abel peered into the distance, past the pub, to see what Buggy was aiming for. Then she realized what it was. Nami.

The girl had just exited the shack, carrying a large bag of what Abel could only assume was Buggy's treasure. Unfortunately, Buggy had been facing in her direction. And without the pub blocking her, he'd easily spotted her. Given his obsession with treasure, it wasn't a surprise that he was so pissed off. "Hands off my treasure!" Buggy shouted, flying at Nami with his daggers outstretched.

Nami paled. "I've been found out!"

"You won't get the better of me, Nami! I'll cut you to pieces!" Nami turned to run, but Buggy was right behind her. "You won't even get a speck of gold paint!" Nami screamed, struggling with the heavy sack.

But her fear seemed premature, as Buggy randomly screamed and collapsed to the ground. Abel blinked. What'd just happened? Then she saw Luffy. He'd kicked Buggy's lower half in the crotch. Abel tried not to laugh, but only succeeded in stifling it behind her hand.

Buggy writhed on the ground, and not for the first time Abel was glad to have been born a woman. "C-Curse you, Gum-Gum boy!" he whined pathetically. "You fight dirty... attacking my lower half...!"

Luffy looked rather proud of himself. "Don't forget our fight's not over!" he said, perhaps a bit too giddily.

"I'm safe..." Nami breathed in relief.

"Nami," Abel called to the thief. "You might want to leave the looting until after the battle's won. Otherwise Buggy's just going to keep chasing you."

Nami looked absolutely horrified at the suggestion. "Leave the treasure!? Not a chance! I'm not gonna leave my treasure behind!"

Abel stared at the younger girl blankly. _I told her to hold off on the looting, not eat a baby._ And Nami claimed that they were crazy? She was risking her life for gold.

Buggy glared up at Nami, but it kind of lost its impact when he was still on the ground. "_Your_ treasure...?"

"That's right! _My_ treasure!" Nami proclaimed, pumping one fist in the air. "I'm a master thief, and I just stole it! Mine, mine, mine!" As if that was enough, Nami nodded her head with finality.

"Oh... okay..." Luffy murmured. Nami sure was strange.

"That's my treasure, fool!" Buggy yelled indignantly. "It's not yours until you get away with it! It's a basic tenet of thievery!"

Nami scoffed. "The bad guy wants to lecture the bad guy, eh? I don't argue with lowlife pirates!"

"What!?"

Nami grinned cheekily down at Buggy. "I'd never stood so low as to take lessons from you!" She stuck her tongue out at him.

"She does have a point," Abel agreed hesitantly. "Who's in the right when it comes to stealing stolen treasure?"

Buggy ground his teeth. "Then suffer the consequences! Chop-Chop Festival!" All at once, Buggy's body exploded into a flurry of pieces. The bits flew around chaotically as Buggy laughed. "Let's see you save your friend now, Gum-Gum boy!"

Neither Abel nor Luffy were happy about this change. The bits were flying too fast to handle. "Damn it!" Luffy cursed. "He's all over the place! How am I supposed to fight him?"

Abel eyed the pieces. Even with her aim, it'd be difficult to get them all. But Luffy caught her attention when he dived at something on the ground. She blinked, seeing he was holding something. "What's that?"

Luffy held up his prize. "His foot!" Indeed, it was one of Buggy's feet. "His feet don't fly." Interesting weakness.

And not a moment too soon, as Buggy resumed his pursuit of Nami. "Gimme back my treasure!" he shrieked like a banshee. Never mind that he was just a head and two hands at this point. He'd proven he could still use those daggers of his.

"I won't!" Nami yelled obstinately even as she ran away. Apparently greed trumped fear.

Luffy pulled Buggy's sock and shoe off, then started tickling Buggy's foot. Buggy laughed loudly in response. Grinning like a kid with a new toy, Luffy stubbed Buggy's toes on the ground. Hard. "How do you like this!?" Buggy yelped in pain, but didn't stop chasing Nami. "You're a tough old clown, aren't ya?" Luffy commented, pinching Buggy's ankle. Buggy screamed again.

Clearly getting fed up with his foot's abuse, Buggy's head snapped around. "Enough already! Cut it out!"

Nami stopped running for a second, placing the sack of treasure on the ground. But instead of doing the sensible thing and leaving it behind, she growled, "The one who's gonna cut it out... is you!" With more strength than Abel assumed she possessed, Nami swung the bag up and over her head, hitting Buggy in the face. The treasure made a very satisfying sound as it connected.

But instead of knocking Buggy away, he just chuckled wickedly. "Thank you for returning my treasure!" he gloated as he grabbed the sack with both hands.

Nami gasped, and the two began fighting to pull the sack away from the other. "Let go!" Nami snapped.

"Let go?" Buggy repeated. "_You_ let go!" The two continued to pull at the sack like two dogs wrestling over a bone.

Sensing that Nami was about to be in big trouble, Luffy started running towards them. Buggy didn't notice, as he was preoccupied with the treasure. He bit into the sack while his hands moved behind Nami. He made to stab her in the back. But Luffy wasn't going to let that happen. "Hey! You're supposed to be fighting me! Remember!?" Luffy sent an amazing flying kick at the back of Buggy's head. Buggy's face slammed into the sack of treasure, sending both hurtling through the air. Nami cried out as the sack of treasure was ripped from her hands, tumbling backwards as she brought her hands up to shield her face.

Gold and body parts scattered around the area. Buggy's face skidded across the pavement before landing in a pile of gold. His floating bits fell to the ground all at once, unmoving. Apparently Buggy's ability to control his parts required him to be conscious. Made sense.

"Gotcha!" Luffy cheered. He wiped the blood from his face. "That was for the mayor!"

Nami looked around, catching her breath. She looked surprised that it was all over now. "Thanks for saving me, " she said slowly, turning to Luffy. She still looked a bit shaken.

Luffy smiled. "No problem!" But then he remembered what he'd been after in the first place. "Oh yeah! The map..." Buggy was supposed to have it. Guess they'd have to search his scattered body for it.

Nami stared forlornly around the area. "My treasure's scattered all over the place!"

Nami began gathering her treasure back up (now that Buggy was defeated she could legitimately call it hers) while Luffy and Abel searched through Buggy's things. After rummaging through his coat, all the while keeping an eye for even the slightest twitch that he might be regaining consciousness, Abel felt a piece of paper. Holding it up, she could see that it was a map. The Red Line cut straight down the middle of the seas. A massive stretch of land that acted as the dividing point. And running perpendicular to that was the Grand Lane. The greatest sea. The Sailor's Graveyard. The most dangerous place in the world.

"Is that it!?" Luffy asked excitedly, peering over Abel's shoulder.

"Seems so," she replied. Rolling the map up, she stood.

Luffy jumped for joy. "At last! We've finally got the map of the Grand Line!"

Abel grinned at Luffy's enthusiasm. Not that she expected anything less. "Let's wake Zoro and depart, before the pirates wake up."

"Right!"

As the two pirates turned to leave, a voice that shouldn't have been called out to them. "Hey... Not so fast, Gum-Gum boy!"

They were surprised to see Buggy's head floating behind them. And he was ticked. "You still alive?" Luffy asked, like it wasn't obvious. Abel's hands twitched towards her crossbows. Maybe if she just shot him in the face they could wrap this up. Abel had better things to do than fight pirates.

"I'll kill you!" Buggy screamed. "Come together! Chop-Chop..." They were prepared for another round with the clown, but what they got was a midget. They could only gape down at Buggy as only his hands and feet came back, connecting to his neck. Buggy looked mortified. Clearly this wasn't what was supposed to happen.

Abel's stomach hurt as she tried to hold back a peal of laughter. He looked like a demented Mr. Potato Head.

"Is this what you're looking for?"

Turning, they found Nami standing over a tied up pile of body parts. She held the rope tightly in one hand, pressing her heel into the pile as they squirmed, trying to return to their owner. Nami grinned winningly.

"My parts!" Buggy squealed.

Abel gave up holding back her laughter. This was one of the funniest things she'd ever seen. "What a thief!" she managed. "I've heard of being robbed blind, but she'll rob you lame!" Nami smirked at Abel's comment, clearly quite pleased with herself.

"Leave the rest to me!" Luffy laughed, stretching both arms behind him. "Bye-bye, Buggy! Gum-Gum..."

"WAIT!" Buggy pleaded. But of course it was futile.

"... Bazooka!" Luffy slammed both hands into Buggy's face, sending the bodiless man sailing into the air and out of sight. "I win!" Luffy declared throwing his hands in the air in celebration.

Abel clapped her hand on Luffy's shoulder. "Good work, Boss. I don't think we'll be seeing anything of Mr. Buggy any time soon," Abel mused, resting her hands on her hips. "Assuming he's lucky enough to not land in the ocean and drown."

Luffy turned as Nami approached them, once more carrying her sack of loot. "Now you'll join my crew, right?" Luffy asked. That was the deal, wasn't it? Get the map and she'd join?  
"For the time being," Nami replied, walking slowly under the weight of her treasure. "Looks like I'll make a fortune if I stick with you guys." Nami brought the sack up to her cheek and started nuzzling it like it was a cute kitten. "You have to give Buggy credit - he had an eye for treasure. This is first-class booty. It's easily worth ten million berries."

As Nami continued to chatter happily, Luffy walked away from them. Abel watched silently as he bent down and picked up his hat. It'd survived the rest of the fight without further damage. He gazed at it, his expression unreadable. Nami came up beside Abel and observed Luffy for a long moment. "That hat..." she began, much more subdued. "It means a lot to you, huh?" She must've seen that part of the fight.

"Yeah. It's not so bad, I guess. I can still wear it," Luffy replied. He pulled the hat down over his head, beaming. "I feel better now that I got rid of Buggy!"

_I wonder if he's being honest or if he's just deflecting,_ Abel mused. Then again, Luffy seemed like an upfront kind of person, so he was probably telling the truth.

Luffy knelt next to Zoro and patted him on the head. "Hey Zoro! Wake up! Let's get going!"

"Hmm?" Zoro groaned as he slowly woke up. He blinked sleepily, glancing around the area as he sat up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he asked, "Did you take care of things?"

"Yeah, and we got the map and the treasure."

Zoro nodded, reached out to gather his swords together. He smiled slightly when they were back in place at his side. Then he stood up. Or at least he tried to. But his legs didn't seem to want to cooperate. "Ungh! It's no good. I don't think I can walk," he groaned, holding his head as he suddenly felt light-headed.

"Of course not!" Nami retorted. "If you could, I wouldn't believe either of you guys were human." There should be a limit to how insanely strong one person could be.

"Hey! Don't lump me with him!" Luffy protested. As if being considered normal was an insult.

"You're even less human than he is!"

"Don't worry, Nami," Abel interrupted. "As a Monster Hunter in training, I can guarantee that they're both completely human." Then she paused, tapping her chin as if in thought while scrutinizing the two. "But they could be demon possessed," she teased, trying to sound serious. She looked the sky in thought. "I don't think I have any holy water with me..."

Zoro sweatdropped. "Just shut up already..." Abel shot him an innocent look, which he didn't believe for one second.

Luffy gasped as he remembered something. "Oh yeah! I'd better wake the mayor!" The poor old man was still out cold.

As Luffy stood, Abel noticed a group of armed people heading for them. There were men and women of various ages. They carried various types of sticks and wooden swords. _Just like the mayor._ They also weren't dressed like the rest of Buggy's crew. "You might want to hold off on that, Luffy," she advised. She didn't think they were a threat, but better to be safe than sorry.

The others finally noticed the mob. "Hey, you guys," one of the men said, eyeing the group suspiciously. The chaos behind them was pretty obvious and didn't lend itself to their innocence. "We're the citizens of this town. Did the pirates mutiny or something? C'mon you, talk!"

Nami sighed. "The townspeople? That's a relief! Thought you might be more pirates. We'll tell you what happened, but it's a long story-"

"Hey! It's the mayor!"

The villagers forgot about the pirates and all rushed to the mayor's side. They began to fuss over him, sitting him up. "Mayor! Are you hurt?"

"What happened here?"

"It was those lousy pirates!"

And before anyone could stop him, Luffy mindlessly announced, "No it wasn't. I knocked the old man out!" Definitely the wrong thing to say, given the way the villagers quickly turned on them.

"Luffy! They didn't have to know that!" Nami snapped, already hoisting her treasure. Things were about to go downhill quick.

Luffy blinked. "Well, you saw me.

"True, but I wasn't going to tell them!"

The villagers pointed their "weapons" at the pirates. Abel knew they weren't really in any danger from untrained civilians, but she didn't want to hurt people who were rightly annoyed with pirates wreaking havoc on their homes. "You did this to the mayor!?"

"It's intolerable!"

"Who are you? Pirates?"

Nami started to sweat. _They're in an ugly mood. Don't tell them we're pirates and thieves, or they'll kill us!_

"We're pirates!"

Nami fell over as Luffy said the second thing he probably shouldn't have. The first was admitting he'd knocked the mayor out.

Now the villagers were really riled up. "Pirates! Get 'em!"

As Zoro laughed at this bizarre set of misunderstandings, Nami had a very different reaction. "You Idiot!" she screamed at Luffy.

"But it's the truth!" Luffy protested.

Abel placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "You don't always have to lie. Sometimes it's better to just... neglect to mention certain pertinent details."

Luffy blinked at the huntress. "Okay..." he drawled, clearly not understanding a word she just said. So instead, he saw the angry expressions on the villagers' faces and ordered, "Run!"

Before the villagers could react, Luffy threw Zoro's arm over one shoulder, grabbed one of Nami's treasure sacks and took off for the dock. Nami and Abel were close behind. Without looking back, they could hear the villagers chasing after them, screaming about getting revenge for the mayor. Abel couldn't help but find it comical that the people they'd save were trying to kill them now. This was going to make for a very different exit than what they had at Labyrinthe.

"Why do you always have to complicate things!?" Nami complained as she ran.

"These are good people!" Luffy replied, catching Nami off guard. "They're all worked up because they love their mayor! It wouldn't matter what we told them!" Luffy chuckled, seeming not to mind the villagers trying to kill them.

"That's very insightful," Abel commented.

Nami huffed, but knew she couldn't argue with Luffy's logic. Instead, she settled for saying, "Let's take a shortcut!" She led them through a narrow alley, but the villagers were still close enough behind to see where they went.

But they had to give up the chase when a white, growling ball of fur blocked the entrance to the alley. "Chouchou!" Nami gasped, but didn't stop running.

"It's that dog!" Luffy added.

Abel smiled as Chouchou barked and growled at the villagers, not letting them past. It was good to see his injuries had been patched up. And unlike the villagers, Chouchou was repaying them for their kindness, even if it wasn't expected at the time. Nice to know some good deeds were rewarded. Chouchou refused to let anyone through, even as they tried to say they were bad pirates.

Thanks to Chouchou, they managed to reach the docks and their ships unharmed. Why the villagers just didn't go around to another alley, Abel didn't know. But she wasn't about to complain.

Nami sighed as they finally stopped running. "That was too close! Chouchou really saved our necks! Why are we in this mess, anyway?" That last part seemed to be directed at Luffy.

"It's okay," Luffy replied nonchalantly. "We did what we needed to do, right?"

"True," Abel agreed. "And it's not as if we're likely to see anyone here again in our lifetime." Nami mumbled something rude, but let the matter drop.

"Hey, is that your ship?" Luffy asked, noticing the small ship next to theirs. "It's great!"

Nami sweatdropped at Luffy's enthusiasm. "I've seen better..." It was only slightly larger than theirs, but big enough for a small cabin to offer privacy. Nami gazed at the ship with mild disdain. "I stole it from some stupid pirates."

"We've been waiting for you, girlie!" Everyone looked up as three mangy pirates appeared on the deck of Nami's ship. They must've been lying in wait in the little cabin.

Abel instantly recognized the three as the ones she and Zoro had fished out of the water earlier. _Have they been waiting here this whole time for Nami to come back?_ Abel wondered.

Nami looked nervous. Obviously she knew who they were. She'd robbed them, after all. Not that she felt guilty. "Y-You guys..." Nami really didn't like getting into physical confrontations with people she'd stolen from.

The three looked quite pleased with themselves. "We knew you'd come back to the ship!"

"Imagine our surprise, finding our stolen ship docked here!"

"You haven't forgotten about us, have you?"

Not recognizing the danger (not that the trio was really any threat), Luffy asked Nami, "Friends of yours?"

"Not so much..."

"Now, that's not nice," the ringleader mocked. "Our fates are intertwined." Abel observed the scene silently. Apparently the trio didn't recognize her or Zoro (although how that was possible, she didn't' know - maybe they really were just that stupid). These three weren't really a threat, so she just watched things develop. The ringleader eyed the group. "I see you brought some friends. Then they'll get the same treatment as you! We'll learn ye to steal ships!" He approached Luffy and patted Zoro on the head. Abel tried not to smirk. Zoro'd been asleep on Luffy's shoulder during the pursuit, but she suspected he wouldn't be for much longer. And if there was one thing she'd learned about the swordsman in their short time together, it was that he didn't like it when his naps were interrupted. "What ails ye? Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

Zoro slowly raised his head, his expression one of obvious displeasure at being so rudely awakened. And upon seeing who they'd been taunting, the three pirates promptly freaked out and swam away. To where? Did anyone care?

Seeing the confused looks on Nami and Luffy's faces, Abel simply asked, "Shall we?" while motioning to the two ships. It was on the tip of her tongue to tease Zoro about being able to scare hardened pirates with a single look, but she really just wanted to get out of here. Before anything else went wrong? She'd had enough excitement for one day, thank you.

With Zoro now conscious, they quickly got the two ships ready to set sail. Nami tied a line between the two boats so they wouldn't drift apart, since Nami's ship had a larger sail and would thus catch more wind. But even though her ship was larger, Nami refused to let any of the others onboard. She was very adamant about it. Maybe she still didn't completely trust them. Or maybe she just didn't want to risk the treasure she'd stashed inside the cabin.

When everything was ready, Luffy ordered, "All right! Let's go!" The sails unfurled and the ships began to slowly pull away from the port.

Zoro eyed the Jolly Roger on Nami's ship's sail. "Hey. Your sail has Buggy's mark on it."

"It was his ship," she replied. "I'll replace it later." Didn't want people mistaking them for the wrong pirate crew.

"Hey, kid! Wait! I have something to say to you!"

Everyone turned to face the docks at the shouting. They half expected to see the mob of villagers. But instead, they found only the mayor. Despite being having his face slammed into a wall earlier, he seemed no worse for the wear. Just out of breath, probably from running to meet them. Abel noticed he'd shed his armor and spear. No use for it now. They watched as he struggled to catch his breath, hands on his knees. "Thank you!" he finally cried. Tears of pure joy ran down his face. Not just for his own survival, but that of his town's as well. "I won't forget it!" It was a touching moment. Even if no one else knew what they'd done for that town, they would remember.

"You're welcome, mayor!" Luffy yelled back, waving. "Take it easy!"

* * *

As the island faded on the horizon, everyone settled in for a long stretch at sea. Abel idly listened to them as she disinfected and bandaged the claw marks on her shoulder. The pain was mostly gone by now. It only really hurt if she moved her arm too much, mostly from the skin pulling at where a scab was trying to form. But even with the bleeding stopped, she still diligently wrapped some gauze around it. Better safe than sorry.

"What!?" Abel looked up at Nami's scream. She found the thief gaping at Luffy with horrified eyes. What had he done now? Nami pulled at her hair. "You left the treasure!? That was half a million berries I handed you!"

"Yeah, but their whole town was wrecked. They'll need a lot of money to rebuild it." While Luffy's actions were generous, Nami clearly didn't see it that way.

"That was _my_ treasure you gave away!" She lunged at Luffy over the sides of both ships, grabbing Luffy's head and trying to shove it under the water.

Of course Luffy fought back. He couldn't swim after all. He flailed with one hand while keeping a death grip on the hull with the other. "Take it easy!" he pleaded. "If you really want it, let's go back and get it!"

"It's too late!" Nami shouted. She couldn't take it now that it'd been left for the townsfolk. She only robbed from pirates. "If you ever do anything like that again, I'll kill you!"

Zoro was rolling with laughter, not in the least bit concerned for his captain. Abel had to admit, it was funny watching the two interact. Nami clearly had a temper, and she suspected Luffy's thoughtlessness was going to be bringing it out a lot. _Well at least now we know never to get in the way of a thief's loot_, Abel mused.

Figuring she'd better put a stop to this before things got out of hand, Abel walked over to the pair and held the rolled up map in front of Nami's face. The thief paused in her homicidal attempts and gawked at the paper before following the arm up to stare at Abel questioningly. "It's the Grand Line map," Abel said. "As the navigator, shouldn't you be carrying it?"

Nami took the offered map slowly, as if she expected it to explode in her hands. She stared at it in her hands for a moment before giving Abel a small smile. "Right," she agreed, sounding surer of herself this time.

Abel returned the gesture. Maybe this crew wasn't the picture of normalcy, but she had a feeling that was for the best. Who else would you take on a fool's errand?

* * *

**The next bit will go to Usopp's island & then to Gaimons like in the anime rather than the other way around like in the manga.**


	7. Captain Usopp Appears

**Sorry I didn't get this up last week before I went on vacation. But it's a nice, long chapter to make up for it. I'm still on vacation until Sunday, so hopefully I'll get the next chapter done before then.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or it's characters. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: Mild Language & Alcohol Use**

* * *

A shiver broke Abel from her sleep. Still not fully awake, she curled in on herself to try to capture more warmth. She tried to settle back in to sleep, but the chilly wind persisted. The feeling of goosebumps breaking out all along her arms stirred Abel to full alertness. Still groggy, she sat up, rubbing her face with one hand and her prickly arm with the other. Chilled, but still unmotivated to move, Abel glanced at the horizon to gauge the time. It appeared to be just before dawn proper. The sky had that dull gray color it always took on before the sun was over the horizon.

Abel yawned before stretching her arms over her head. Her shoulders and elbows gave a satisfying pop. Another chilly morning gust reminded Abel why she was even awake before the sun was up. Trying not to rock the boat to wake the two men still asleep, Abel pulled her duffle bag over and fished out her black military jacket. As she pulled it on, she eyed the white thread that stood out on the sleeve from where she'd patched up the hole the basilisk's fang made. Idly, she ran a finger along the stitching, thinking of the monster that had tormented her home as well as the men who'd helped her defeat it.

She'd always known her dream was a bit on the crazy side. Most sensible people ran away from monsters. They didn't chase them. And they certainly didn't want to travel to the most dangerous places in the world to study them. But here she was, with two men whose dreams were just as crazy as hers. To become the Pirate King and to become the world's greatest swordsman. And while she didn't know if Nami had a dream, the fact that she risked her life for gold told Abel she was a bit off in the head as well. It felt good to be in nice, crazy company again. Abel hadn't felt this way since her sister Caine left home.

"Here."

Thoughts interrupted, Abel turned and blinked. Zoro held her scarf out to her. When she just stared at it, Zoro moved it closer. "You're cold, right? And my side's healed so I don't need it anymore." Nodding, Abel took the scarf. Zoro relaxed back against the hull.

Abel looked thoughtful for a moment before scooting over to the side of the boat. Leaning carefully over the side, she stretched her arm down to dip the scarf into the sea. She swirled it around in the water a few times before drawing it up, wringing the excess water from it. _That will have to do until I can wash it properly_, she thought. Abel couldn't help but note that her scarf was starting to look a little worse for the wear. The ends were starting to fray and there were obvious stitches in it where she'd patched up previous holes. It didn't help that it often got used as a bandage. If it weren't for the fact that it was a dark maroon color, it would've been stained as well.

Abel slid a couple of fingers through the new hole. She eyed Zoro meaningfully, wiggling her fingers. Zoro, noticing her look, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry..." Shrugging, Abel wrapped the scarf around her neck loosely with practiced ease. He may have cut a hole in her scarf, but he'd also cut a hole in his own side, so it seemed a bit petty to get mad.

As Abel made herself comfortable against the opposite side of the boat, Zoro decided to make conversation. "That thing's pretty beat up. It must be pretty old."

"It was a present from when I was a still a child," Abel replied, folding her hands together and resting them on her knees. "Due to our... unusual birthing circumstances, my sister and I had poorly developed immune systems. We were sick a lot as children, although I seemed to take the brunt of it. So one year our parents gave me this scarf in hopes that it would stave off any diseases."

"Seems like being a monster hunter out of the seas would be a dangerous thing, then," Zoro commented with a frown. "Are you sure it's safe for you to be out here?"

Abel smiled lightly. To anyone else that would've sounded like an accusation that she might become a burden. But she took it as just Zoro's gruff way of expressing concern for a crewmate's wellbeing. "You're concern is touching, yet unnecessary. For the most part, it seems to be something I've grown out of over the years. One of the many benefits of having a doctor for a father. Supplements and good old-fashioned body training have helped. Plus, I've learned over the years how to avoid infections." Abel leaned forward then, unabashedly staring at Zoro. "Now I get to ask you something personal."

Zoro suddenly looked wary. "What...?" he asked slowly. He wasn't sure if he liked the unashamed interest in her eyes.

Knowing that Zoro wasn't the sort of person who liked others to beat around the bush, Abel went straight to the point. "That white sword of yours is clearly special to you. Why?" The question had burned in her mind since she came to this realization during his fight with Cabaji.

Almost instinctively, Zoro's hand went down to caress the white sword's handle. Zoro wasn't sure what to say. He'd never talked about Kuina to anyone. Then again, no one had ever really asked him. It wasn't the sort of thing he wanted to talk about, but under Abel's honest curiosity, he felt he had to say something. So he kept things brief and hoped she'd be satisfied. "It belonged to the only person I couldn't defeat. When she couldn't carry it any longer, I took it up for her sake."

A silence stretched between them as Zoro remained in his memories and Abel processed this. Eventually, she breathed, "I see," in a soft voice. What else could she say? Anything else seemed disrespectful to the untold story. _Perhaps that's why he's so recklessly driven toward his goal_. "Carrying the dreams of two people must be a heavy burden."

Zoro's head snapped up then, staring at Abel with wide eyes. To reach that conclusion from just what he'd given her... Abel just smiled gently at his expression before leaning back against the hull, letting silence descend upon them once more.

Silence remained between the two while they waited for the others to stir. But it wasn't the oppressive, stifling kind - the sort where both parties wrack their brains for something to say. Instead, it was more like two people lost in their own thoughts with nothing really to say to each other. Abel wasn't really the sort for idle chatter, and she didn't take Zoro to be the sort either. She could've asked him more, because she was curious about her crewmates and what better way to learn than to ask, but Zoro didn't strike her as the sort of man who enjoyed talking about himself. Besides, he seemed lost in his memories right now.

Abel's mind wandered to random thoughts as she watched the sky slowly turn from the bluish-gray of pre-dawn to the warm orange of daybreak. Realizing she could be making better use of her time, Abel took her crossbows out and began cleaning and fine tuning them. She always liked to perform maintenance on her weapons after use. It allowed her to make minute adjustments to the gears based on the previous battle. The complicated yet delicate gear system needed near constant care to remain efficient. Abel relied on her weapons' speed to keep her alive. One jammed shot could spell her death.

Abel was so engrossed in her task that she barely registered Nami and Luffy waking up. Of course she heard Luffy get up. The boy's loud complaining about being hungry was hard to miss. And she vaguely noted Nami must be up when she saw Zoro lower the sails out of the corner of her eye. The sails caught the wind instantly, driving both ships onward.

It was well after breakfast when Abel finished her maintenance. She was satisfied that everything was clean and well-oiled. Putting the crossbows safely in their holsters, Abel reached down to dip her hands in the sea to clean the oil from her hands. Unbidden, she found herself staring down into the water. She was loathe to admit it, but being out in the open ocean was always a slightly unnerving experience for Abel. It wasn't so much a fear of the sea itself, but rather the unsettling thought of what might be lurking beneath. True, the East Blue was supposed to be the most peaceful of the five seas, but that didn't mean it was without danger. Monsters could be lurking just out of range for the sunlight to reach and you'd never know. It was both a thrilling and terrifying thought.

_Don't get yourself in a state,_ Abel reminded herself. There was no point worrying about things she couldn't control. With that in mind, Abel leaned back into the boat and simply enjoyed drifting along. _Deal with obstacles when they emerge, not before._

Things were off to a peaceful start this morning. Luffy was in an even better mood than usual after Nami'd fixed his hat. Actually, she had to fix it twice. After the first time, Luffy'd accidentally poked a finger through the repair, so Nami had to sew it up again. After jabbing Luffy in the face with a needle, of course. Zoro dozed against the hull (was the man secretly part cat?). Only Nami seemed unhappy. Abel watched the girl curiously. She frowned as she seemed to be thinking about something.

Before Abel could inquire about her random bad mood, Nami saved her the trouble and just said what was on her mind. "There's absolutely no way we'll make it to the Grand Line in this condition."

The others looked up then. Luffy pulled the apple core he'd been gnawing on since breakfast. "You're right," he agreed. "We're gonna need a whole lot more meat."

"We'll also need some booze," Zoro added. Abel probably could've stopped the apple from hitting Zoro in the face, but she figured he deserved it for such an inane comment. So she simply caught it after it bounced off his chin.

"I believe Nami is referring to more than just supplies," Abel drawled. Should she have been surprised when Luffy and Zoro looked at her like they didn't have a single clue about what the women were getting at? She'd better spell it out for them. "Lest you forget, the Grand Line is the most dangerous sea, and home to the most powerful pirates in the world. Most of whom are after the One Piece as well. So unless we want to have the shortest run in history, we need to build up a proper crew." Abel's mouth thinned as she pondered. "By my estimation, even if we just aimed for a skeleton crew, we're two crewmates short."

Nami nodded, glad that at least one person here had a brain. "We don't have a crew. We don't have any equipment, or even a real ship for that matter. There is no way we'll ever make it like this."

"Yup," Luffy once again agreed. "We'll need a cook. And maybe a musician to keep us entertained!"

"A musician?" Zoro asked with a snort. Of all the necessary positions he could've picked, Luffy had to pick a completely unnecessary one.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a doctor," Abel stated.

Nami sighed in frustration before giving up reasoning with Luffy. At least he seemed pretty laid back about going along with things. So she just decided she'd bypass him and pick the crew's course herself. She was the navigator, after all. Nami studied the map for a minute. "A little to the south of here is an island with some settlements on it. And it looks like we might be able to get a ship and some of the supplies we need there."

"Fresh meat at last!" Luffy exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

Zoro was quick to add, "And lots of booze as well."

"Is that all you think about!?" Nami snapped. "Ugh! What am I going to do with you two!?"

But even if they lacked an understanding of the planning necessary to undertake a voyage to the Grand Line, the boys were onboard with stopping at the island. So after adjusting the sails to take them south, they were on their way.

* * *

It didn't take long to reach the island. It wasn't that large, and from the water looked uninhabited. It looked like nothing but forest. However, there was a nice beach for landing, as well as a path that seemed to have been cut into the cliffs. Luffy and Zoro pulled the boats up onto the shore and everyone disembarked.

Zoro groaned as he stretched his back. "Feels good to be on dry land again!" The ship was a little cramped.

Abel turned her gaze around the area. It seemed peaceful. Just the sounds of the wind and birds fluttering around the trees. But she couldn't see any signs of human life here. Even if the slope between the cliffs was man-made, she couldn't see any smoke or anything to indicate there was anyone other than animals here. "Are you sure there's a village here?" Abel asked Nami.

"Yeah..." Nami answered, checking the map again. "Looks like a small one, though."

"Ooh, ooh! Then there's meat!" Luffy exclaimed as he lunged at Nami. He was literally drooling. "There's meat!" Nami scowled and hid the map, most likely to keep Luffy from drooling on it. "There has to be a place to eat meat in this village!"

"Just forget about meat for a minute, would ya?" Nami growled.

Even over the sounds of the surf, and of Nami and Luffy arguing, Abel's ears picked up a rustling noise. It didn't sound like the wind. It sounded like something scurrying in the grass. And for her to hear it over the other noises, it had to be bigger than a squirrel. Abel began to get a prickly sensation along her spine. The kind you get when someone's watching you. She didn't see anything, but that didn't mean there wasn't something there.

Abel casually glanced at the others to see if they noticed. She didn't want to tip-off whoever or whatever it was. Of course Nami and Luffy were too busy with each other to hear it. Abel inwardly sighed. But when she turned to Zoro, she saw him looking straight up the slope with a serious expression. Feeling her eyes on him, Zoro's eyes met hers. They stared at each other, silently communicating. _Did you hear that?_ Abel's eyes drooped slightly, as if nodding without actually moving her head.

Zoro's mouth thinned and his hand slowly slid to his swords. He walked past Nami and Luffy, who were still oblivious, standing at the front. Putting himself at the front if there was a surprise attack. "Careful," he said, his voice deep with suspicion. He flicked one his swords open. This certainly caught Nami and Luffy's attention, as they gaped at him. "We're being watched," he said, eyes scanning for danger.

But instead of being concerned, which would be the sensible reaction, Luffy got excited and starting looking around for the hidden person. "By who!? Where are they!? They got meat!?"

Abel's attuned ears picked up the sound of something slicing through the air. It was subtle, and something most people would overlook were it not something they heard frequently. But Abel was an archer, and she knew that sound all too well. "Look out!" she warned, grabbing Luffy by the back of his shirt and yanking him back in time to miss several pellet-like objects striking the ground at his feet. Almost tossing Luffy to the sand behind her, Abel drew a crossbow and pointed it in the direction the shots had come from. Behind her, Nami screamed and hid beside one of the boats.

Flags began popping up around the cliffs. They all had Jolly Rogers. A sort of gawking skull-and-crossbones. Abel counted nearly two dozen of them. "Ooooh..." Luffy breathed, practically vibrating with energy. "That's so cool!" he shouting, flailing his arms around.

"Is this supposed to be when we're impressed?" Nami asked, more annoyed than anything.

Cocky laughter drew Abel's eyes upward to the tallest part of the cliffs surrounding them. There, standing dramatically by another flag, was a... boy. Abel estimated him to be about Luffy's age. Abel lowered her crossbow. The kid didn't look like a threat. _It's gotta be the nose_, Abel mused. Yeah, it was definitely the nose that ruined whatever kind of posturing he was doing right now. The kid's nose stuck out like a carrot on a snowman. Not that the rest of him ranked high on the "scary" factor. He was a bit on the scrawny side, with curly black hair, large round eyes, thick lips and a medium tan. Almost all of his clothing were different shades of brown; the checkered bandana, overalls, boots and messenger bag. The only things on him that weren't brown were the white sash tied around his waist and the blue-and-white striped arm band on his left arm. It was the armband that caught Abel's attention. _So he fancies himself an archer_. A lot of archers wore protective bands on their non-dominant arm. Being smacked by a bow-string on release was not pleasant.

"I am Usopp!" the boy declared haughtily. "Leader of the invincible nation of pirates who reign over this island! You stand before a living legend, the most revered pirate who ever lived!" Abel raised a disbelieving eyebrow at that. If he was so revered, why'd she ever heard of him? But he just kept going. "I am the great Captain Usopp! Surely you know that plotting an attack on this island would mean certain death! My army of eighty million super-mean pirate soldiers would squash you like bugs!" To finish his dramatic production, this Usopp threw his arms out dramatically.

"AWESOOOOOOME!" Luffy yelled. But judging by the looks on everyone else's' faces, he was the only one who believed this joker.

"You expect us to believe that?" Nami called up.

Usopp gasped, holding his head. "Ah! She knows!"

"Yep," Nami said with a smirk. "Well, now I know."

"How could I have been so dumb!?" Usopp bemoaned, wiggling around like a worm on a hot rock. "I practically told her I was lying! I'm such an idiot! So stupid!"

Abel just stared as the boy continued to freak out. _So not only can he not lie, but he abandons his lies as soon as there's a hint someone doesn't believe him_. Why even bother lying at all then?

"What!?" Luffy gasped, eyes wide as he gaped at Nami. "He was lying!?"

"Curse you, you crafty tactician!" Usopp yelled, trying to regain his composure. "Eighty million may have been an exaggeration... but I have a great many men under my control!?"

Noticing that only six of the flags were moving, a sly look crossed Nami's face. "My guess is three."

"Aah! She does know!" Three children leapt from the bushes, each holding a flag in both hands. Fearing for their lives from the big, bad pirates, the kids quickly abandoned their "captain" and high-tailed it out of there.

"Hey! Wait! Where are you guys going!? Come back!" Usopp yelled, but they already gone.

Turning away from the panicking teen, Abel knelt to examine the pellets that had missed Luffy. Buried in the sand were several small, perfectly round pellets. _Not bullets_, Abel thought. Once fired, bullets became just deformed wads of metal. But there had kept their shape. She picked one of the pellets up and gently blew the sand off it. "A pachinko ball?" she murmured to herself, rolling the ball in her palm. _So he's using... a slingshot?_ Maybe Abel would have to reevaluate her opinion of this young man. To be able to fire a delinquent's toy that rapidly took some measure of skill.

Still focused on the strange boy, Luffy laughed heartily. "You're pretty funny!" he announced.

But Usopp didn't take to this too kindly. "Shut your mouth!" he growled. "Or I'll shut it for you! I'm a proud man and I won't stand for it!" He pulled a green slingshot out of his bag, loaded a pachinko ball into the sling, and aimed it at Luffy. Sensing the boy's seriousness, Luffy stopped laughing and stared blankly up at him. Usopp glared down at the group. He would not be mocked. "This is your last warning, or you'll see why they call me 'Proud Usopp' and not 'Pushover Usopp.' Is that clear?" Luffy said nothing. Just pushed the brim of his hat down. Usopp continued, "You've already seen for yourself just how good I am with this thing, so you know I can rival anyone carrying a pistol."

"If it's a competition you're after, I'm game," Abel announced. She stood, tossing the pachinko ball carelessly in her hand. She ignored the way the others gaped at her, probably wondering what the hell she was doing, and walked forward, past both Luffy and Zoro. She winked at the boys, reassuring them that she wasn't going to cause _too_ much trouble. Looking back up at Usopp, who still looked determined to salvage his pride, Abel began, "But I have to warn you..." She tossed the pachinko ball aside, and pulled her bow out from under her coat. With one smooth movement, it unfolded, strung it, nocked an arrow, aimed at the boy and drew back. "I think mine's bigger," she drawled, voice dripping with confidence.

Now Usopp was starting to look nervous. Sweat trickled down his forehead. But to his credit, he kept his aim, even if his hand_ was _starting to wobble.

Behind her, Abel heard Luffy say, "Now that you've drawn your weapon, are you ready to use it?" She could hear the smirk in his voice. Luffy continued, his voice sounding much more serious than normal. "Guns aren't for threats, they're for action. Are you willing to risk your life?"

Zoro chuckled, and Abel heard his flick his sword out slightly. "I can assure you, we're real pirates," he warned, getting in on their little ruse. "Consider your next move very carefully."

Abel kept her eyes calmly glued to Usopp, but Usopp's eyes kept darting between her and the two men behind her. She couldn't look back to see what they were doing, but she assumed they looked suitably intimidating. He was trying to keep up his nerve, but the longer the two continued their stare down, the more she could see him starting to waver.

Abel waited with unflinching patience, until... Usopp cracked. He pulled his hand from the sling, letting the band snap forward uselessly as the pachinko ball fell to the ground. Usopp soon followed, collapsing heavily to his knees with a defeated sigh. He looked down at the pirates tearfully, but not from fear. "Man, pirate's words have a lot more punch to them because they can actually back them up. That's so cool."

Smiling is satisfaction, Abel lowered her bow. As she put the arrow and bow back in their proper places, Luffy and Zoro couldn't keep up the act anymore and began laughing heartily. "I stole that!" Luffy called up.

"Huh?" Usopp looked very confused now. So... they weren't going to kill him?

"I stole those words from Red-Haired Shanks, a pirate I know."

"What!?" Usopp gasped, looking gob smacked. "You know Red-Haired Shanks!? You really are a real pirate! Wait, you gotta be lying! Do you really know him!?" He still sounded more impressed than afraid.

Luffy smiled warmly. "Yep. I know your dad too. His name is Yasopp, right?"

Usopp's next reaction put all his others to shame. He leaned forward in shock, but in doing so he fell over the ledge of the cliff and came tumbling down to the beach, landing right in front of the others. None too gracefully, I might add. Seemingly unfazed by his fall, Usopp pushed himself up onto his elbows and gaped at Luffy. "You're right," he admitted slowly. "My old man's name _is_ Yasopp. But how...?" Usopp frowned as he sat upright. "How do you know him?"

"Luffy will tell you all about it," Nami interrupted, coming up to stand with the rest of them. "If you don't mind showing us to your village."

Usopp blinked, glancing between the four pirates. They didn't seem that threatening now. "So... you're not here to destroy the village?" It sounded dumb asking that, but he had to know.

"If we were, we would've already killed you and been off to raid the village, wouldn't we?" Abel asked. Probably not the most reassuring way to word it, but it was the truth.

"That makes sense, I guess," Usopp admitted, somewhat hesitantly. "Okay then."

* * *

With Usopp in the lead, the pirates made their way up to the village. It wasn't large, but seemed big enough to support itself. It was one of those towns where everyone pulled their own weight, but was willing to help when a neighbor fell on hard times. It seemed like the entire village had been built along a single dirt road that led all the way through town and ended at a mansion on the hills.

There appeared to be only one restaurant in town, but that was more than enough for Luffy. The group took a booth. Abel and Luffy sat on one side, Zoro and Nami on the other, and Usopp pulled up a chair at the end. Abel had to admit, it was nice to have a hot, home-cooked meal. She wasn't particularly picky about her food, but dried meat got a bit dull after a while. The bowl of spiced dumplings she ordered definitely put her in a good mood.

While they ate, Usopp and Luffy chatted like they were old friends. "So I met your dad when I was just a little kid," Luffy somehow managed around a mouthful of meat.

"Hold on! Does my old man really know Shanks?" Usopp asked excitedly.

"Know him? When I met your dad he was part of Shanks' crew, so they were probably pretty good friends."

"I can't believe it!" Usopp exclaimed. "My old man, sailing the high seas with famous pirates." Usopp seemed pretty chill about his dad being a pirate. Not a lot of people would do that. Then again, he did seem to have the same fascination with piracy as Luffy. Did he like pirates because his dad was one, or did he like his dad because of his love for pirates?

Luffy finally swallowed his food. "I haven't heard from him in a while, but I bet he's still with them." Luffy grabbed an apple. "He was a heck of a sharpshooter. I'd keep him on my crew." Luffy gazed fondly at the apple, likely thinking on a good memory. Smiling back at Usopp, Luffy continued, "He used to go on and on and on about his son. I think I heard enough about you to make my ears bleed. And let me tell you, he was a great pirate."

Usopp hung on Luffy's every word. It made Abel wonder just how long it'd been since Usopp saw his dad. If Luffy'd met him when he was a kid, probably over a decade. Any sort of life at sea left little room to be a parent. Not unless you brought your family with you, but that held its own risks.

"Yeah, really?" Usopp asked eagerly. He turned to stare longingly at a painting of a ship sailing through a storm on the wall behind him. The yearning in his expression was almost tangible. "I sure am proud of my old man. He leapt into a pirate's life on the endless seas. He chose a life of real adventure."

"Maybe you can help us," Nami suggested. If Usopp liked pirates, maybe he could help them find some of the supplies they needed. When Usopp looked questioningly at her, she continued, "Do you know someone who could provide us with a decent ship? Or even anyone who knows how to sail for that matter?"

Usopp sighed, glancing out the window. "You won't find any galleons here in town, but there is a place you can go."

"Where?" Nami asked.

Pointing out the window, Usopp answered, "That huge mansion that stands out like a sore thumb! That's where! The owner of the mansion is a young girl. And she's bedridden."

Nami hummed in thought. "How did she become the owner of a mansion?"

Before Usopp could continue his story, Luffy yelled to the waiter, "More meat, please!"

"And more grog!" Zoro adding.

"Are you guys listening to my story?" Usopp snapped.

"Just ignore them," Abel advised. "They'll catch up in time."

Sighing in frustration, Usopp continued, "Well, about a year ago, both the poor girl's parents got sick and died. They left her with a huge inheritance, a mansion, and a dozen servants." Leaning back, he crossed his arms behind his head. Staring at the ceiling in contemplation, he muttered, "She's rich and lives in luxury... but nobody's more unfortunate than her."

_Money can't buy the things we want most,_ Abel mused as she absorbed Usopp's tale. As much as people pursued it, money was ultimately an empty thing.

"Forget it!" Everyone looked surprised that Nami was shooting down the idea of asking a rich girl for money. "We're not gonna find a ship here. Let's go find another town."

_Unexpected,_ Abel thought. Then again, Nami did claim to be a pirate thief, so Abel supposed that non-criminals were safe from her. Or maybe Nami was so moved by the girl's plight that she didn't want to take away the only things she had left, even if it was just money.

Regardless, Luffy was okay with the plan. "Okay. I guess we can spare the time. And I got a bellyful of meat! Let's grab some supplies and go!" They'd need to find a bigger town if they wanted a ship and a crew.

"By the way..." Usopp interrupted. "You said you were looking for crewmen..."

"That's right," Luffy replied. Did Usopp know an able sailor?

The liar grinned at them winningly. "I'm your man! I'll be your captain!"

The response was a unanimous and resounding, "No thanks!"

"Don't you want to think it over!?"

But the crew wouldn't budge. As nice a guy as Usopp was, he didn't seem like the sort who would be good for the crew. They were heading for the Grand Line. It was no place for playing pirate.

Realizing that he wasn't going to change their minds, Usopp gave up. "Fine. I guess it's time for me to go, anyway." Picking up his bag, Usopp waved at the pirates as he headed for the door. "Maybe I'll see you guys again before you leave."

"Bye, Usopp!" Luffy called as he left them to finish their meals.

While Luffy finished stuffing his face, Abel watched with a small amount of fascination at the amount of alcohol Zoro was able to put down with seemingly no effects. He was on at least his third bottle and didn't seem even the slightest bit drunk. Not even tipsy. Abel was slightly awed. If that was her, she'd be passed out under the table... or puking her guts out. Zoro must've noticed her staring, because he glowered at her and asked in only a slightly defensive manner, "What?"

"I was just wondering how long it'll be before you succumb to alcohol poisoning," Abel replied coolly.

Rolling his eyes, Zoro stated, "My body's strong enough to handle a bit of alcohol." Then he took a long swig just to spite her.

"I'll be sure to have that engraved on your tombstone." She swept her hand slowly across the air as she spoke. "Roronoa Zoro. On the path to be the world's greatest swordsman until his own liver exploded."

Zoro snorted at Abel's overdramatization and reached for her mug. He poured some of the grog into it and held it back out to her. "Here. Drink it and be quiet."

Abel pushed Zoro's hand, and the mug, away. "I don't drink."

Zoro looked at her like she'd just said she didn't breathe. "Why not?"

"Do I really have to have a reason?"

"Yeah."

Abel held her chin in her hands. "Firstly, it tastes like shite. Even people who like to drink only do so for the side effects. They just convince themselves it tastes good. Secondly, I prefer to have complete control over my mental faculties."

"Oh, I get it," Zoro said, grinning wolfishly. "You just don't like it because you're a lightweight." He said it like it was something shameful.

"Of course I don't drink because I have no tolerance," Abel responded simply. She'd had about three sips of alcohol in her entire life (one from beer, one from wine and one from whiskey), and she hadn't enjoyed any of it. "That doesn't invalidate my other reasons."

"Well you're a pirate now, so you need start building up your tolerance." He offered the mug to her again.

Abel pushed the mug back. "I don't want it."

"Take it." Zoro shoved it back.

"No." Back to Zoro.

"It'll be good for you."

"My dad's a doctor so I know that's not true."

"It'll put hair on your chest."

"How exactly is that an incentive for me?"

"What are you two doing!?" Nami snapped. She'd been watching the two argue, passing the mug back and forth like some reverse tug-of-war. What were they even arguing about?

Glancing at Nami, Abel answered, "Zoro's trying to ply me with liquor so he can take advantage of me."

Zoro started sputtering, his face turning cherry red. Though whether that was from embarrassment or rage, Abel couldn't say. "I told you not to say things like that so easily!" he yelled, slamming the mug down on the table so hard he nearly splintered it. "Crazy woman!"

"Usopp's Pirates are here!"

The sudden bold declaration broke off whatever rant Zoro was about to make. Three boys stood in the doorway, holding small wooden swords up. Only the four pirates paid the boys any mind, meaning this must be a common occurrence. "Who are they?" Nami wondered aloud.

Abel eyed the three. "Aren't they the boys that were part of Usopp's welcoming committee?" She hadn't gotten a good look at the boys when they were running away, but they looked similar. The boys were fairly... unique-looking. They reminded Abel of vegetables. One had pink hair that stuck up like a carrot, the other wore a green hat that looked like a bell pepper, and the third had blond hair that seemed to have a permanent cowlick that made it stick up at a point reminiscent of an onion. Plus, the fact that they were calling themselves "Usopp Pirates" suggested they knew the liar in more than just passing.

The three boys looked rather blue in the face before running up to the Straw Hat's table. "Hey, you pirates! What'd you do with our Captain?" Carrot-top demanded.  
"Give him back!" Pepper-hat added. They were trying to look tough when it was clear they were about to wet themselves. Abel found this more than a little hilarious. She might not have much experience with pirate crew, but she was willing to bet they were one of the least intimidating crews out there.

Oblivious to what was going on as usual, Luffy placed the saucer he'd been drinking tea from down with a contented sigh and said, "That meat was delicious!"

"M-Meat...!?" Carrot-top gasped, looking horrified.

"The Captain! He couldn't have-!"

_Oh, that is just precious,_ Abel thought, trying not to laugh. They really thought they'd eaten them? Since when were pirates cannibals?

"If you're looking for your captain..." Zoro leaned on the table.

The boys jumped, gaping at Zoro with terrified eyes. "What!? What did you do to him!?"

An evil grin stretched across Zoro's face as he hammed it up. He really did have a wicked streak. In his most menacing tone, Zoro drawled, "We just ate him."

"GYAAAAAAAH!" the boys shrieked, eyes bugging out of their heads as they turned to Nami. "Ogress!"

"Why are you looking at me!?" Nami yelled back, clearly offended.

Abel covered her mouth, but her chest shook as she laughed. Zoro openly laughed at the trio as they passed out on the floor. This caused Nami to turn her wrath on him. "It's not funny!" But Zoro was too amused to care. Realizing that yelling wasn't going to do any good, Nami pointed at the boys and demanded, "You wake them up! It's your fault!"

After they revived the boys, they came clean about Usopp's absence. "'Time to go'?"

"That's what he said. Then he left," Zoro finished. Sadly, no cannibalism was at play here.

"It was probably time for him to go to the mansion," Pepper-hat mused.

This piqued Nami's attention. "The mansion? Where the sick girl lives?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Why would he go there?" Luffy asked.

The boys grinned. "To tell lies!"

Luffy sweatdropped. "That's not very nice."

"Yes it is! It's very nice!" Carrot-top protested. "Right?"

"Yeah, it's great!" Pepper readily agreed.

Abel was getting a little concerned that these boys had been around their "captain" a bit too much. They were still children, after all, and children were very impressionable and easily mislead. _Some people never outgrow these traits, it seems_, Abel thought, eyeing their own captain.

The boys continued on, "The Captain doesn't tell bad lies! He only tells good lies! Like when he lied to you guys about being a pirate. He was only doing that to protect the village!"

That made sense in a way. "But what's to be gained from telling 'nice' lies at the mansion?" Abel asked.

"The girl there got really sick after her parents died, but it wasn't from any illness," Pepper explained. "It was from her broken heart. So the Captain started sneaking into the grounds to tell her stories. He always comes up with the funniest stories! And they made the girl laugh, making her forget about her sadness. Now he goes there every day to cheer her up with his crazy tales!"

That was a more noble response than Abel was expecting. Usopp's faults may have been glaring, but deep down it sounded like he had a good heart.

"Hey! He's a nice guy!" Luffy realized.

"He makes up stories to cheer her up? And he's been doing it for the past year?" Nami mused.

"That's right."

"That's what I like about the Captain. He's a meddler!" Carrot-top admitted.

Pepper chimed in, "I like the Captain's because he's so bossy!"

"I like the Captain because he's so boastful!" Onion-head finished.

Zoro sweatdropped. "He's sure got a lot of good qualities..." Usopp may have been a nicer guy than they expected, but these kids needed better role models.

"Then the girl's spirits must not be too low," Luffy stated, sounded excited about something.

"That's right! Thanks to the Captain!"

Luffy bolted from his seat. "Well, that settles it!" he shouted, somehow not drawing any attention from the other patrons (maybe with Usopp around they were used to commotion). "Let's go ask her to give us a ship!"

Nami slammed her hands on the table. "But we already decided against that idea!" she opposed, very vehemently.

"The past is past!" Luffy declared, already marching out the door, leaving his crew with no choice but to follow.

Surprisingly, there were no guards the mansion gates when they got there. But the large iron gates were undoubtedly locked. Likewise, the high fence surrounding the very stately looking mansion deterred most trespassers. But most trespassers weren't Luffy. Stopping at the gate, Luffy called out politely, "Good afternoon. Please lend us a ship." Of course, no one was around to either confirm or deny that request. But Luffy would not be deterred. "Okay, let's go in," he said, already climbing the fence.

"Then what's the use of that greeting?" the boys wisely asked.

"If we're going to ask the lady a favor, breaking into her property is not the best way to endear ourselves to her," Abel warned. But once Luffy was set on something, little short of a tranquilizer gun could stop him. Maybe Abel should look into that...

Nami held her head. "There's no stopping him now."

"I guess we'll have to go with him," Zoro stated. With no choice that didn't involve letting Luffy run amuck, they climbed the gate after him.

It wasn't hard to find Usopp. His distinctive, scratchy voice carried very well over the quiet courtyard. "I chopped it up and took it to a land of little people. They're still eating it to this day." They found the benevolent liar seated against a tree around the back of the mansion. A young girl was at the open window in front of him. Both were so engrossed in the story that they didn't notice they had company. "And after such a glorious feat, the people called out to me-"

"Captain!" the boys called to him.

At first Usopp still didn't notice them. "That's right! They called me-" He gasped when he finally noticed them approaching. "What're you guys doing here?"

"We brought this guy with us," the boys answered, pointing at Luffy.

The girl leaned out further to see the newcomers. She was the picture of young innocence. Shoulder-length blond hair, large doe-brown eyes and pale skin, wearing a loose white dress." "Who are they?" she asked, her voice light and weak, but kind.

"You must be the mistress of this place!" Luffy greeted.

Not giving Luffy a chance to explain, Usopp sidled over and slung an arm across Luffy's shoulders. "Oh, they heard of my reputation from afar, and came to seek me out. They're the newest members of my crew!"

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed, at first not registering what Usopp said. But then he quickly corrected himself. "Hey! That's not right!" He frowned at Usopp for sidetracking him before turning to the girl. "We came to ask a favor of you."

The young lady blinked. "A favor? Of me?" She didn't seem like the sort of person who got a lot of visitors.

"Yeah!" Luffy began. "We want a big sturdy ship!"

But he didn't get to continue, as an angry voice demanded, "What is the meaning of this!?"

The man approaching was the very definition of slick and stuffy. His greased back black hair shone, and his small wire-frame glasses caught to sun, creating an evil-looking glare. His black suit accentuated his height and slender build. His white dress shirt was probably starched, too. And why did his shoes have black and gray stripes? Abel couldn't help thinking that he walked like he had a stick shoved up his backside. The man scowled at them. "You realize you're trespassing!?" His voice conjured up images of oil; thick and slimy.

"Uhg! The butler!" Usopp grumbled, trying to look at small as possible.

_Figures,_ Abel mused, eyeing the man warily. _Only a butler could look that uptight._

"Klahadore..." the mistress breathed. She smiled nervously at the thin man. "You see, these people, they're-"

He simply raised a hand to silence her. "Save your excuses for later." Pretty brash for someone who was essentially a glorified servant. Even behind the glare of his glasses, Abel could tell he was giving them a dirty look. "You must all go - immediately. Or do you have some business here?"

"I want a big sturdy ship!" Luffy explained again, ever the optimist.

"I can't help you." Luffy slumped over at Klahadore's dismissal. Zoro patted his back half-heartedly.

Movement beside her dragged Abel's attention away from Luffy's moping. It was Usopp. And it looked like he was trying to sneak away unnoticed. His body hunched over and he was tip-toeing. But his efforts were wasted when Klahadore noticed him anyway. "You..." Usopp jumped. "You're Usopp, aren't you?" The butler practically sneered his name. The mistress started to look incredibly nervous now. Had she been told not to talk to Usopp before? Surely as the lady of the house she could do whatever she wanted, even if she did look younger than Usopp. The smile Klahadore gave then made Abel's skin crawl. It would've looked more at home on a basilisk's face than a human being. "Your reputation precedes you. You're the talk of the village." His tone suggested that this was not leading up to a compliment.

But Usopp must not have noticed, because he stuttered, "Uh... thanks! Call me 'Captain Usopp,' if you please! But really, there's no need for flatter!"

Klahadore pushed his glasses up with the palm of his hand. "The guards... they've reported seeing you lurking around the estate. Do you have any business being here?"

"Well... yes, I do," Usopp began. "I saw a legendary mole enter this estate. I'm trying to capture him!"

Klahadore snorted, lowering his head to glower at Usopp over the rim of his glasses. "You've a gift for deceit."

"What!?"

"I've also heard stories of your father," Klahadore continued. He stared straight at Usopp with a dark, serious, contemptible expression. "You're the son of a filthy pirate. I wouldn't put anything past you. Stay away from Mistress Kaya." His words were as cold as ice.

Usopp glared hatefully at the butler. "... a filthy pirate...?" he growled, his voice raspy. Given his idolizing of his father, it didn't surprise Abel that this would make him angry. Hell, it would make anyone angry.

"You and Mistress Kaya are from completely different worlds," Klahadore continued, waving a hand dismissively at Usopp. "Is it money you're after? How much do you want?"

"YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR, KLAHADORE!" Kaya screamed, louder than expected of a sickly girl. But rage has a way of changing people. And she was justifiably angry. How dare Klahadore accuse her only friend of only being her friend for money. Not once had Usopp asked for anything from Kaya. "YOU OWE USOPP AN APOLOGY!"

Klahadore glanced back at Kaya. "Mistress, Kaya, why should I apologize to this trash? I'm only speaking the truth." He turned back to face Usopp, pushing his glasses up with his palm again. "But I do feel sorry for you. Your treasure crazed idiot father did abandon you."

"Klahadore!" Kaya reprimanded.

"Stop bad-mouthing my father!" Usopp growled. Judging by the way his hands shook, he was barely holding himself back.

The butler sneered at Usopp, clearly pleased that he was getting under his skin. "What are you getting so worked up about? Why not just fabricate some of your outrageous lies about your father? Just say he's really a merchant, or that he's not your real father, or perhaps-"

Before he could continue, Usopp lunged at him and punched him in the face. "SHUT UP!" Klahadore fell back from the force of Usopp's punch. Kaya gasped and the kids screamed in shock. Abel would wager that this was the first time Usopp had ever been violent before. Not that Klahadore didn't have it coming. While Abel subscribed to the belief that it was best to ignore people who were deliberately goading you, because they'll usually leave you alone once they realize they aren't getting to you, she couldn't blame Usopp for his actions. If you keep pushing someone's buttons, don't be surprised when they lash out.

Klahadore pushed himself up onto his elbows. "See how he is?" he declared, pushing his glasses up again. "His first instinct is violence! He's an animal - like his father!"

"Shut up!" Usopp screamed. His fury halted any further accusations the butler could throw at him. Eye burning with a mix of rage and pride, Usopp shouted for all to hear, "I'M PROUD THAT MY FATHER IS A PIRATE! I'M PROUD THAT HE'S A BRAVE WARRIOR OF THE SEA!" Usopp's body shook with emotion. "You're right. I do make up stories. But there's one thing I'll never lie about! I'll never lie about my pirate heritage! I'M THE SON OF A PIRATE!"

Klahadore snorted with contempt. "A pirate, a 'brave warrior of the sea'? That's a deceitful way to twist the truth." He pushed his glasses up. It must've been like a twitch for him. "Nonetheless, your behavior is indisputable proof of your ruffian heritage." Klahadore rose to his feet, setting Usopp with a stern look. "Lie all you want, but, faced with difficulty, your first recourse is violence!" He bent slightly to brush the dirt from his pants. "And I know you are only kind to Miss Kaya because you're after her."

"What!?" Usopp gasped, appalled at the very idea. "I-"

"I'm onto your scheme you scalawag!" Klahadore interrupted. "You're trash, like your pirate father!"

Usopp's temper flared again. "That's enough!" he shouted, grabbing Klahadore by the front of his shirt. He drew his free hand back...

"Stop, Usopp!" Kaya pleaded earnestly. "Please, no more violence!" Usopp hesitated then, fist frozen in the air. He glanced anxiously at Kaya. The girl looked ready to pass out. Her pale skin was sweating, she he held her head like she had a bad migraine. All of this excitement couldn't be good for her in her health. Kaya's voice trembled as she spoke, but she still sounded strong. "Klahadore's not a bad person..." she pleaded. "He takes care of me! He only wants what's best for me. He just... went too far..."

As Usopp hesitated, Klahadore brushed his hand off his shirt. And Usopp let him. "Leave the grounds," Klahadore ordered. "This is no place for a ruffian like you! Never come near this estate again!" Kaya looked ready to cry.

A dark expression fell over Usopp's face. "Fine, have it your way," he said, turning away from everyone. "I'm leaving. And I'm never coming back!" Hands stuffed in his pockets, Usopp marched out the front gates, not once glancing back.

As they watched him go, Kaya muttered sadly, "Usopp..."

Usopp's Pirates leapt at their captain's defense. "Stupid smelly butt-ler! That captain's a great guy!"

"Yeah, fool!"

"Dumbbell!"

"Knucklehead!"

Zoro hit Luffy on the head as he jumped into the conversation. "You too, Luffy?" Sure, this guy was a jerk. And even knowing Usopp as little as they had was enough to tell them he wasn't anything like Klahadore accused him of being. But it wasn't their fight.

When Klahadore turned his glare on them, the kids jumped behind Nami in fear, while Luffy tried to lunge at the guy. "C'mon and fight!" he yelled.

Zoro was the only thing keeping him back. "Easy, Luffy!" he urged, struggling to contain their flailing captain. Of course, had Luffy truly wanted to hit him, all he had to was stretch his arm out. But Luffy must've forgotten about this in his anger.

Clearly fed up with their presence, Klahadore shouted, "Get off this property at once!" The three boys were quick to obey out of fear, running ahead of the rest. But Zoro had to drag Luffy out, while Abel and Nami followed behind.

It was only after they were outside the mansion's gate (which slammed rudely behind them for good measure) that Zoro released his hold on Luffy. Said rubber man growled angrily, glaring at the butler as he disappeared inside the mansion. "You should've let me kick his ass!" he yelled at no one in particular.

"Calm down, Boss," Abel said. "While he does deserve to be put in his place, it would've only proven his point if it came to blows."

Luffy calmed at bit, understanding the logic behind it, but he was still fuming. "But still..."

"This isn't our fight, it's Usopp's," Zoro reminded him. "Let him handle it the way he wants." All things considered, Zoro thought the kid handled things pretty well. He'd stood up for himself without coming across as a jerk.

"Let's hurry and get out of here," Nami advised, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "Before he calls the guards on us, too."

The group headed back through town, idly watching the houses roll by. The village was insanely peaceful. Abel wondered if part of the reason Usopp lied so much was because he was bored. This did seem like the kind of place where nothing bad ever happened. Usopp was just making his own amusement.

As they wandered, with no real direction in mind, Nami suddenly asked, "Where'd Luffy go?"

Abel stopped and looked around. Sure enough, their captain was no longer with them. "I thought it was quieter than usual," she mused. How could she miss someone like Luffy wandering off? He wasn't exactly stealthy.

"Maybe he went after the 'captain,'" Zoro suggested, crossing his arms as he stared down the road in both direction. Not a straw hat in sight.

"We know where the captain went!" Carrot-top said.

Pepper nodded. "Yeah! To the beach! Whenever something happens, that's where he goes!"

"Wanna see?" they asked.

Zoro thought about it for a second before deciding, "No thanks..." He sat on the grass, leaning back against the fence running beside the road. "I say we just wait. He'll show up eventually." Nami shrugged and followed suit, jumping up to sit on the top rung of the fence.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Abel asked, leaning a hip against the fence. "Luffy has shown a penchant for getting in trouble when left unsupervised. Last time we let him out of our sight he wound up bound in a cage about to be blown into the atmosphere." The boy needed constant supervision.

Sweatdropping at the way she worded it, Zoro replied, "This place seems pretty quiet. I doubt even Luffy could get into much trouble here." He placed his swords beside him. "It's not like there are any pirates here, anyway."

"Alright..." Abel answered, in a sing-song tone that suggested she didn't believe it for a second.

Instead of arguing, Abel pulled out her current journal and began writing. In addition to making notes to create her monster book, Abel decided she would keep a logbook for their journey. Usually that was the captain's job, but Luffy didn't seem too keen on writing. Although reading a book written by Luffy would probably be very entertaining. No, Abel wanted to keep as accurate a logbook as she could. She wanted to tell their journey as objectively as possible. If Luffy did become Pirate King one day, it was inevitable that his story would get altered and twisted. Abel wanted there to at least be one accurate record of what they'd been through.

As Abel wrote about the fight with the Buggy Pirates, she listened with one ear the others talking. "Hey, aren't you missing someone?" Nami was asking.

"Yeah, Onion!"

"He always disappears.." Things faded out as Abel's concentration focused on her writing, becoming just noise in the background. She could hear their voices, but not make out the words.

At least not until a high-pitched voice started screaming, "A backwards man!"

Abel looked up from her writing to see the blond kid from Usopp's Pirates hurtling towards them in a full panic. Abel watched as he ran up to his comrades and shouted, "There's a strange man headed this was walking backwards!"

"Liar!" the other two quickly retorted.

"It's true!" the third, Onion, protested. "Look!" He pointed down the road.

Abel raised a brow, as there was indeed a strange man headed their way... walking backwards. Well, shuffling was probably a better term. It was almost like a very slow dance move, with the soles of his feet sliding back while never leaving the ground. He came to a stop right in front of them. "Hey! Who just called me strange?"

The man looked like he was late for some retro flash mob. He wore a blue wide-brim hat, jacket, and shoes, olive-green cropped pants, and white gloves, t-shirt and baggy socks. His grayish hair was wavy and came down to his shoulders. Heart-shaped sunglasses hid his eyes, and he had a strange black-and-red striped beard like something you'd see on a pharaoh. He seemed to constantly stand with one hand tilting his hat down while the other rested on his stomach, like he was stuck in a pose.

Apparently oblivious to how he looked, the man protested, "I'm not strange!"

"You're a little strange," Nami argued, voicing everyone else's thoughts.

"Don't be silly. I'm just your typical traveling hypnotist."

_You don't look like a typical anything_, Abel thought.

But the boys looked impressed, and began begging for him to perform for them. "Show us a trick!"

"Yeah! Show us!"

"What?" The man struck an intimidating pose. Or at least as intimidating as a man wearing heart-shaped sunglasses could. "Don't be silly. I don't even know you. Why should I perform for someone I've only just met?" Then his stance quickly relaxed, and he pulled out a circular medallion. "Oh well... look at the ring..."

"Then you are gonna perform?" Zoro asked, confused at this weird guy's moods.

Ignoring Zoro, the man focused on the boys, who watched the ring swinging very intently. "When I say, 'One, two, Jango,' you'll fall sound asleep. Ready? One... two... Jango!" The boys fell asleep instantly, collapsing in a snoring heap. But... the man fell asleep too!

"Now that's strange!" Zoro snapped.

The trio stared at the people passed out in the street for a long moment, waiting to see if they'd wake up on their own. But judging by their snoring, that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Snapping her journal shut, Abel walked over to them and knelt next to the hypnotist. She stared at him for a second before tapping his boney nose with the edge of her journal. He snorted as he woke. Tilting her head to the side, Abel drawled, "Falling asleep in the middle of the road isn't a good way to convince people you're not suspicious, Mr. Hypnotist."

"Huh?" Abel backed away as he pushed himself up. The hypnotist looked around, seemingly confused at where he was. He noticed the three still sleeping boys. "Oh, right..." He stood, brushing his pants off, trying to play the whole thing off. "Well, I hope that demonstrated my powers to you guys. But now I have an appointment to keep." And without another word, he shuffled away.

"What a strange guy..." Nami murmured. Abel and Zoro nodded in agreement.

As soon as he was out of sight, the three boys woke up with a start. "Huh? What happened?" Maybe the trance only worked when the hypnotist was around?

"Ah! Did he really hypnotize us!?"

"Yeah..." Zoro replied. The whole thing had been pretty weird. Why did they always meet the strangest characters?

After that strange little interlude, the group went back to waiting. Without their captain, they couldn't leave. But none of them had the motivation to go looking for him. And it was nearing the evening. "If Luffy doesn't show up soon, we'll have to stay here for the night," Nami reasoned, looking up the sky. Casting off at night could be tricky, so it might be better to stay until morning.

Abel hummed in agreement. "But I didn't notice any inns or boarding houses in the village. We may have to rough it." Abel grinned at the face Nami made then, but to the girl's credit, she didn't complain. Abel wasn't really a fan of sleeping on the ground either, but now that she was a pirate she supposed she'd have to get used to it. The life of a vagabond wasn't always glamorous.

"Whoa... what's that?"

Abel turned at Zoro's question and looked in the direction he faced. She saw something running down the road towards them. And it was fast. At first it was too far away to tell what it was. But as it got closer, she recognized the tan bandana. "Is that Usopp?" she asked. Sure enough, the sharpshooter went flying past them. He didn't say anything. He didn't stop. He didn't even seem to notice them. Abel got just the barest glimpse of the stony, determined expression on his face before he was gone, heading into the heart of the village.

"Captain!" the kids gasped.

"Hmm. I thought Luffy would be with him," Zoro mused. So where could the rubber man have gone?

Nami slid from the fence as they watched the teen disappear. "Is he still upset about what the butler said about his father?"

"Who knows..." Zoro replied dismissively.

"No!" Carrot-top protested. "Did you see his face?"

Pepper frowned in thought. "Something must've happened at the beach!"

"He was pale as a sheet!" Onion added.

Abel turned to Zoro then. And even though he was blatantly refusing to look at her, he could feel her gloating expression. "Not a word, woman" he growled at her. Abel just grinned, satisfied in knowing that he knew she'd been right. If Luffy wasn't in sight to verify that he wasn't in trouble, assume he was. It was easier that way. Turning to the boys, Zoro asked, "Hey, how do I get to the beach?" Zoro would bet money that Luffy'd been with Usopp. And if Usopp was here and upset, something must have happened to Luffy. Hopefully he wasn't in too much trouble.

* * *

The boys led them to a cliff overlooking the shore, on the opposite side of the island from where they'd moored. It gave a great view of the sea... too bad their captain was still nowhere to be seen. "This is the place," the kids announced.

"Our Captain always comes here to be alone and think."

The kids scattered around the small cliff's edge. There wasn't really anywhere Luffy could be hiding unless he was up in the single tree at the top. "I don't think that Straw Hat guy is here," the pepper-hatted kid said, frowning

"Where the hell is he?" Zoro grumbled, looking around.

Abel stood near the cliff's edge, hands in her pockets. She gazed out along the shoreline, looking for some trace of Luffy. A few loose rocks skittered down the steep cliff. Behind her, Zoro cautioned, "Abel, be careful."

"Noted," she replied, not moving from her spot.

Abel's eyes scanned around the shore, until a patch of blue and yellow caught her attention. There, lying on the beach with his backside in the air, was Luffy. "I think I've located our Captain," she called.

"Where!?"

Turning to face them, Abel pointed down. "Down there."

"What!?"

They crowded around the edge of the cliff as carefully as they could, gaping in horror at the sight. "Luffy!" Zoro gasped.

Everyone hurried down the slope that lead to the shore. Up close, things looked even worse. Luffy's head was smashed into the ground, his legs curling over his body. Even Abel had to admit she felt apprehensive at the sight. Could a rubber man survive this? How did he wind up here in the first place? What was going on?

Abel cautiously approached Luffy's body, kneeling next to his head. She leaned forward, trying to get a better look if he was breathing or not.

Behind her, she heard Nami gasp. "Luffy, what did you do!? How did this happen!?"

"He fell!" Carrot-top said.

Pepper added helpfully, "He's a goner!"

"So that's why our Captain looked so upset!" Onion concluded.

Trying to drown them out, Abel leaned closer. _What's that sound?_ It took her a moment to place the noise. It wasn't breathing. It was... Abel let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "He's okay," she reassured, leaning back with a slight smile.

"What!?"

Abel's smile widened at their disbelieving expressions. "The last time I checked, corpses don't snore." As the others were stunned into silence, Luffy's snoring rung out loudly in the air, confirming what Abel'd just said. He wasn't dead. He'd just knocked himself unconscious. Apparently even his skull was rubber.

Zoro smirked, both in relief and amusement. "Lazy bum," he said, pulling one of his swords from its holster. Walking to the opposite side, Zoro poked Luffy's rear with the sword.

Luffy stopped snoring. His hand twitched, causing Nami and the kids to jump back like they thought he was a zombie or something. Pulling his head from the ground, sending bits of rock sailing through the air, Luffy sat up and yawned, stretching his arms. Then, as if it was perfectly normal to wake up after falling off a cliff and having your head wedged in the ground, Luffy smiled at them and chirped, "Good morning, guys!" He blinked, noticing the others' freaked out expression. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong!?" Nami parroted, anger replacing fear now that she knew Luffy was okay. How dare he worry them like that! "You idiot! What're you doing sleeping at the bottom of a cliff!?"

Luffy glanced around then. "Oh..." He scratched his head. "What am I doing here?"

"That's what we wanted to know!" Nami shouted.

But Abel knew yelling at Luffy wasn't going to get them answers any faster, so she tried a different tactic. "Why don't you explain to us the last thing you remember doing?"

"Okay!" Luffy agreed. "I followed Usopp up there..." He pointed to the top of the cliff. "We were talking, when I saw that butler down here with another guy. He was really weird-looking, but had these cool glasses." Glasses... that was unfortunately familiar. Luffy continued, "I think they were both pirates. I didn't catch the first guy's name, but he called the butler 'Captain Kuro.' Usopp said he used to be a famous pirate captain but was supposed to have been killed by the Marines. Anyway, it sounded like he's been getting close to Kaya so he could earn her trust. But he's ordered a pirate raid on the village tomorrow, and in the chaos they're gonna kill Kaya after she leaves Kuro all of her money!"

Abel blinked. _That's... quite a story._ Not that she doubted Luffy. But it made perfect sense. The way Klahadore/Kuro went after Usopp, taking such great lengths to run him off. _He's keeping her isolated_, Abel realized. _Making sure she has no one to defend her. Usopp hanging around the place could cause trouble_.

Needless to say, the boys were in an uproar. Understandable. Pirates _were_ planning on attacking their homes. "What!?"

"Miss Kaya's going to be killed!?" Pepper exclaimed in horror.

"Really, Mr. Straw Hat man?" Onion asked. "Pirates are really going to attack the village?"

"Yup," Luffy replied easily, readjusting his hat. "That's what they said. No doubt about it!"

Zoro eyed Luffy. "Kind of an odd place to take a nap, isn't it?"

"It's strange," Luffy agreed, twisting his head. "I thought I was on _top_ of the cliff."

The boys began to talk earnestly amongst themselves. "So that butt-ler really is a bad guy!" Carrot mused.

"I never did like him!" Pepper growled.

Onion shook his head. "And that hypnotist is in on it, too!"

Nami crossed her arms under her chest. "So that's what your captain was doing," she mused with a smile. "That's why he was running toward the village like his pants were on fire." When the boys looked up at her, Nami assured them warmly, "It'll be all right. The villagers have plenty of warning. They can just hide out in the hills. Pirates are generally pretty dumb!"

Abel and the two guys exchanged looks. "Should we be offended?" Abel asked.

"Nah," Zoro answered with a shrug.

"Hey! Maybe we should go hide too!" Carrot-top suggested.

Pepper agreed quickly. "Yeah, and we'd better take our valuables!"

Onion started making a list. "... piggy bank... snacks... model ship... what else?" With the plan of action agreed upon, the three ran towards the village as fast as their little legs could carry them.

"Oh no!" Luffy suddenly gasped, catching the other three's attention.

"What's wrong?" Zoro asked.

Luffy held his head in panic. "I've got to go buy some meat! Before the butcher leaves town!" Thankfully, Zoro smacked him in the back of the head for that inane comment.

"We probably should head back to the village," Abel began. Before Luffy could misunderstand, she quickly added, "To make sure the villagers are making preparations, before leaving ourselves. I'd personally feel guilty if we left without knowing they'd been warned." She may be a pirate now, but she wasn't heartless.

"We have to go through the village to get to the other side of the island and our ships, anyway," Nami stated. "So I guess it couldn't hurt. But we can't take too long. I don't want to fight any pirate crew we don't have to."

With that settled, the crew headed back into town. They met up with Usopp's Pirates quickly. By the time they reached the outskirts of the village, the sun was starting to set, bathing everything in an orange glow. Abel couldn't help noticing that things were still as peaceful as ever. Too peaceful for a town that should be getting ready to hide from pirates. It hadn't been that long since they'd seen Usopp run by to warn the others. Shouldn't they still be gathering their things and heading for the hills?

"Look!" one of the boys shouted. "It's the Captain!"

Indeed, Usopp was walking towards them, but he hadn't noticed them yet. For some reason, Abel's stomach sank at the sight. Something seemed off. It took her a moment to realize that it was Usopp's posture that rubbed her the wrong way. Shoulders bent, back stooped, hands in his pockets... the posture of defeat. He walked slowly, barely picking his feet up. As she watched, Usopp glanced longingly out at the homes around him. Was he crying?

"Hey! Captain!" they kids called to him.

Abel again watched suspiciously as Usopp quickly wiped the tears from his eyes before turning to face them fully. "Hey, you guys!" he greeted, with force cheer. But that quickly turned to shock. He rushed up to Luffy, shouting, "You're alive!?

Luffy blinked. "Alive?" Apparently the thought that Usopp had seen him land head-first didn't occur to Luffy. Instead, he responded, "Yeah, I must've dozed off."

"Captain!" Pepper interrupted. "We heard what's going on! We've got to hurry and warn everyone about the pirates!"

The color drained from Usopp's face. "... warn... everyone..." Trying to be discreet, Usopp hid his left arm behind his back. But the action didn't go unnoticed by some. Red flags were going off all over the place in Abel's mind, but she let things play out. With painfully false bravado, Usopp started laughing. "I just made it all up, as usual!" he declared. "Got so mad at that butler, I made up a lie about him being a pirate!"

The Straw Hats were confused now. Luffy'd said he'd overheard the whole thing, so Usopp had to be lying now. But why lie about this, of all things? What was going on?

But the boys bought the ruse. "What!? It's a lie!?" Carrot-top shouted.

Pepper actually looked disappointed. "Shucks, I thought something exciting was going to happen!"

"The Captain even fooled the Straw Hat guy," Onion said, glancing at Luffy.

But their jubilation quickly turned to disapproval. "I can't believe the captain would do that," Carrot-top sighed, turning his back to Usopp.

Pepper gave him a dirty look. "Yeah, me either!"

"Or me!" Onion-head agreed. "I don't like that butler... but I never thought the Captain would lie to hurt someone!" Gravely disappointed in the man they'd looked up to for so long, the three abandoned their "captain," heading home, preparing for another normal, boring day. Usopp said nothing; just watched them leave with a mournful expression.

Once they were out of sight, Nami approached carefully. "What's really going on, Usopp?" she asked.

"I already told you," he answered lowly. He made to walk past the group, his head down low. "Nothing."

Before he could react, Abel was beside him. She grabbed Usopp's left arm, the one he'd been trying to hide, and held it up for all to see. There, on his wrist, was a gunshot wound. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but it'd turned his wrist guard red. Ignoring his protests, Abel met Usopp's glare and said calmly, "This doesn't look like nothing to me. This looks like a warning gone unheeded." Usopp's struggles died, and he stood weakly in Abel's grip. He turned his face away, but the shaking of his body told her he was holding back tears.

"Usopp," Luffy began, his voice taking on the deep tenor it got when he was being completely serious. And even though he'd only known them for a day, Usopp couldn't help but look up the uncharacteristic tone. "We'll believe whatever you tell us."

Usopp fought within himself, before relenting. "I'll tell you... but not here."

The crew followed Usopp out to the cliffs, where Kuro and the hypnotist had made their plans. They stood around him as he sat on a rock, staring darkly out at the sea. The sea that would soon be bringing their destroyers to them. The crescent moon was already starting to rise. Usopp glanced between the four pirates before him. These strangers. "I tried to warn everyone," Usopp explained. "I told them exactly what I saw. But none of them believed me. Not even Kaya..." Usopp gave a self-derisive snort. "It's 'cause I'm a liar. I should've known."

"But the facts are still the facts," Nami protested, though she understood why no one believed him. It would be a hard truth to swallow, even from someone with an honest reputation. Ignorance is bliss, after all. "Pirates really are coming, aren't they?"

"They're coming, all right. But no one will believe me! They all think tomorrow will be just another peaceful day..." Usopp steeled himself. "So it's up to me to meet those pirates and fight them off! Then I'll have a _real_ tall tale to tell! I may be a liar, but this time my tale will come true!" Usopp held his wounded arm up, as if taking an oath. "The can shoot me in the arm, and they can chase me with brooms, but this village is my home. I love this village! I've got to protect my neighbors!" But for all his spirit, Usopp knew the odds were against him. The thought of facing real pirates terrified him. His voice shook. "There's not much time to plan... but I refuse to let everyone get murdered!"

The Straw Hats observed the boy... no, man... before them. Even after being called a liar and attacked when he was just trying to help, he was still willing to sacrifice himself for them. Without even having to discuss it openly, everyone already knew what was about to happen.

"You've got a noble heart!" Zoro complimented. "You sent your crew away so you could face the danger alone."

Abel placed her hands on her hips. "He gets points for bravery, but you have to take them all away for lack of self-preservation."

"That's why we're going to help him," Luffy declared, cracking his knuckles.

"I'm telling you now, the treasure's all mine!" Nami warned, already planning to winning.

Usopp stared at them, dumbfounded. "Huh...? You guys... are willing to fight beside me? Why?"

"You're hopelessly outnumbered, right?" Luffy asked.

Zoro eyed the sharpshooting, noting how he looked like a scared rabbit at the moment. "You look pretty scared."

Usopp shot to his feet, outraged at the accusation. "Me? Scared? Ha! Th-that's a l-laugh! Outnumbered or not, I'll be f-fine! I'm Captain Usopp, brave warrior of the sea!"

Abel raised a brow. "Then I suppose you're trembling in anticipation?"

Usopp actually looked surprised to realize how badly his legs shook. He cursed at himself, pounding on his legs to make them stay still. When that didn't work, he settled for yelling at the pirates. "What are you looking at? I'm going up against Captain Kuro's pirates! Of course I'm scared! So what!? I don't want your pity! You guys can stop laughing! Leave!"

"We're not laughing at you," Zoro retorted calmly. They all knew it was nerves. "We're impressed. That's why we're going to help you."

Lightly, Abel added, "You have a good heart... it'd be a shame to see it run through by a cutlass."

"Who'd risk their life out of pity?" Luffy asked.

Their faith and compassion moved Usopp to tears. "Y-you guys!" Hit bit his lip. Now was no time to cry. It was time for action.

_To Be Continued..._


	8. Black Cats Are Always Bad Luck

**Oh my God. This chapter took way longer than I expected. Seriously, this chapter was long. I believe "hella long" is the official length. But I was being stubborn about not splitting the fight up. And hey, at least you guys get a nice, long chapter to read.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece, I only own my original additions to the story. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: Language & Violence**

* * *

"We need to devise a strategy," Abel advised.

Luffy stared at the archer blankly. "Why?"

"You should never engage in battle without having a plan of attack," Abel replied, crossing her arms.

Behind her, Usopp leaned over to Nami and Zoro and muttered, "Does she always talk like that?" The two just nodded in response, causing Usopp to sweatdrop.

Choosing to ignore their discussion of her strange communication patterns, Abel asked the group as a whole, "What can you tell me about this _Captain_ Kuro?"

"They called him 'Kuro of the Hundred Plans,'" Usopp explained darkly. "He was famous for his intricate plans to raid villages that never failed. Supposedly he was caught and executed by the Marines years ago, but now I guess that must've been just a double or something." He shivered. "Just think... we've lived in the midst of a killer like that for all these years..."

"What about his fighting technique?" Abel probed. "Or was he the sort to leave the dirty work up to his crew?"

"I heard he could sneak onto a Marine ship and slaughter them all before they even knew what was going on," Nami helpfully added.

"And his pirates were called the 'Black Cat Pirates,'" Usopp finished.

Abel tapped her lip as she pondered this, her mind working over the details. "So we can't rule out that he won't get personally involved once we interrupt his plans. He probably uses some sort of small bladed weapon that allows for speed and stealth..." Abel trailed off, staring out at the sea. "He's also smart and extremely patient when it comes to laying out his plans... but probably gets frustrated easily when things don't go the way he wants. But I think it's safe to assume that he has prepared for every conceivable contingency."

Luffy stared at Abel cluelessly as she thought out loud. "Huh?"

Look at them properly, Abel clarified, "It means we should assume he's made a back-up plan for everything that could possibly go wrong. And that includes us. He let Usopp live knowing that the villagers wouldn't believe him." She saw Usopp flinch out of the corner of her eye, hand instinctively coming up to touch his now bandaged arm. While Abel did feel bad that no one believed him, perhaps this would serve as a reminder of why character matters. She continued, "He would also know that you'd try to stop the pirates from reaching the village. However..." Abel smirked slightly. "I doubt he accounted for four unknown variables."

"What 'unknown variables'?" Zoro asked.

She motioned to their crew. "The four of us, of course. While Kuro is no doubt aware that Usopp will try to stop his plans, it's unlikely that he anticipated four random strangers getting involved. And even if he has made some adjustments since seeing us with Usopp outside Kaya's mansion, I doubt he expects much of us." Again, they didn't exactly scream "dangerous."

"Well we'll show him!" Luffy shouted, punching the air as he got fired up.

Nami let out a sigh. "So we might actually stand a chance..." That was reassuring.

But before Nami could get too assured, Abel cautioned, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Nami frowned at the older woman. Just when she was starting to feel good about this. Ignoring the glare, Abel continued, "We still need to deal with the being outnumbered thing. I know that normally this wouldn't be a problem, because under normal circumstances the enemy would be focus on fighting us. But the plan is for them to raid the village, so they'll likely try to just get past us. If even one of them manages to get around us and reach the village, we've failed." They had to worry more about just winning.

"Actually, I think I may have an idea for that," Usopp interjected, looking rather smug.

Abel blinked. "Do tell."

The group followed Usopp as he walked down the beach. "They'll attack from this beach," he explained, coming to a stop at the slope that led up between the two steep cliffs. Pointing up the slope, Usopp said, "And this is the route to the village. They'll have to come up this pass. Everywhere else, there's just sheer cliffs."

"I see," Abel mused. "So we can funnel them into this path, managing the number of men they can send at us at a time while preventing them from circling around us." It was a good idea.

"Wow! Piece o' cake!" Luffy declared.

Usopp frowned slightly. "Easier said than done. We'll have to fight like an army." He looked out over the group. "What can you guys do?" They all carried themselves with confidence, but Usopp had yet to see what they could actually do. Aside from the obvious of Abel being an archer and Zoro being a swordsman.

"I slice."

"I shoot."

"I stretch."

"I steal."

"I run and hide."

"You've gotta fight!"

Usopp raised his hands, ducking his head to protect himself as the group (minus Abel) yelled at him. "I was kidding! I was kidding!" As the trio calmed down, Usopp stated, "Actually, I think I know of something else that could give us the edge in this fight. But I'll have to run back to my house to get it."

"Be quick about it," Abel said, looking at the position of the crescent moon in the sky. "We only have a few hours before dawn." And the attack.

"Right! Wait here! I'll be back before you know it!"

After watching the boy run off into the woods, Abel glanced at her comrades. "What's your opinion on the matter, Boss?" They'd seemed pretty willing to go along with whatever Abel and Usopp said, but she wanted to get everyone's point of view. You never know when someone may have insight that could really help.

"I'm happy with whatever you guys decide," Luffy replied. Luffy wasn't one for strategy. He preferred to just duke it out. But he knew the stakes were a bit higher than usual.

Nami was quick to offer the same sentiment. "So long as we come out alive, I don't care how we fight."

"Regardless of whatever plan Usopp's cooked up, I think it'll be best if me and Luffy take the front lines," Zoro said. He glanced at his two female crewmates. "Abel can offer support to make sure we don't get overwhelmed, and Nami and Usopp can bring up the rear, in case anyone gets by us."

"Sensible," Abel agreed with a nod.

It didn't take long before Usopp to return, carting a large barrel with him. "What's that?" Luffy asked.

Usopp just grinned. "Wait and see!" He rolled the barrel down the slope a bit before uncorking it. Thick, yellowish oil started pouring out. He rolled the barrel back and forth across the path, getting oil on every part. By the time the barrel ran out, there was a good ten-foot long oil spill blocking the slope. "It's perfect!" Usopp proclaimed, moving the empty barrel out of the way. He stared down at his oil slick with pride. "There's no way they'll make it up this pass. Not with all the oil we poured down it! Now here's the plan: we attack 'em while they're slipping and sliding. No matter what happens, we hold this pass!" This would make things easier, as they could take the pirates out from a distance while they struggled to get up the hill.

"I just hope we don't end up slipping and sliding ourselves," Nami said with a smile. "It'd be pretty dumb to get caught in our own trap!"

Luffy giggled as he slid his shoe along the top of the oil. It was definitely slippery. "You sure did come up with a slick plan!" He seemed amused by his own word play.

Usopp stood tall. "Naturally!" he declared. "When it comes to daring ideas and this slingshot, I have absolute confidence!"

By that time, the sun was starting to peek out over the horizon. "It's dawn," Zoro announced, and everyone readied themselves for the coming battle.

But as the minutes ticked by, they saw no sign of the expected invasion. Not even ripple in the water. And the longer they waited, the more anxious everyone became. "Where are they?" Luffy asked, kicking a stray rock out of boredom. "It's dawn already."

"Maybe they overslept?" Zoro suggested.

"I doubt it," Abel replied. "They wouldn't have gotten their reputation if they couldn't follow a plan as simple as 'attack this village.'"

Before anyone else could speculate, Nami turned to face up the slope. She frowned, placing a hand to her ear. "Maybe it's just me, but I think I hear someone yelling 'yarrr' to the north of us..."

Everyone exchanged a worried look, and Abel faced north. She closed her eyes, drowning out everything but her hearing. Over the quiet of the morning, it was easy to pick up an unnatural sound far in the distance. It definitely sounded like people yelling. "I can hear... something." But she could tell what, other than it wasn't an animal or anything of the sort.

"Hey! What is it?"

Abel turned to see Zoro and Luffy crowding around Usopp, who looked positively panicked. He held his head in his hands, sweating profusely. "Er..." he struggled to get out. "There's another landing on the north beach!"

"You mean we're on the wrong beach!?" Luffy gasped.

"But the pirates had their secret meeting here!" Usopp protested. "I just assumed-"

"There's no time for excuses or apologies," Abel interrupted, still maintaining her composure. Not that she wasn't worried about the villagers. This delay meant they might not reach the pirates before they attacked the village. But freaking out never helped anyone. Now they needed to act. "Where do we need to go?"

"If we run straight north, we should get there in about three minutes," Usopp told them. "There's another pass there almost exactly like this one. We can stop them there!"

_At least we can still salvage our strategy_, Abel thought.

Nami's sudden shriek broke her train of thought. Abel whipped around to the younger woman to see her holding her head in panic. "Our ships are at the north beach! They'll take our treasure!" Abel resisted the urge to face-palm. That was what she was worried about?

Luffy took off like a bullet. "I'll be there in twenty seconds!"

"Damn! My great oil slick plan was for nothing!" Usopp bemoaned.

"Stop complaining and go," Abel said, giving the boy a shove before running after him. Abel thought she heard Nami and Zoro yell something, and was about to turn back, but she heard footsteps rushing behind her so she figured they'd solved whatever the problem was.

Abel lost sight of Luffy and Usopp, but she knew was heading in the right direction. She was pretty solid when it came to navigating on land. Plus, Usopp said it was a straight shot north. Only a fool would get lost going in a straight line. Abel ran through the outskirts of the village. Despite the adrenaline pumping through her, she allowed herself to feel relieved that the town still appeared to be asleep and safe. So at least the pirates hadn't made it inland, despite their debacle. _We have to ensure it stays that way_. Abel couldn't stand by when the basilisk started terrorizing her home, and she wasn't going to let a bunch of pirates do the same to these innocent people. Part of being a monster hunter was protecting people, even if they never knew what had happened.

Abel knew she was getting close when she started hearing the sea again. She could also hear what could only be the sound of a large group of surly pirates. But over their rumbling, Abel suddenly heard Usopp's scratchy voice. "That's my treasure! But I'll let you have it all!" There was a short pause before she heard him again. "Yes I will! I'll give you that treasure, if you leave immediately!"

Was Usopp trying to bribe the pirates into leaving with Nami's ill-gotten loot? _Oh, Usopp... You have no inkling of the hell you're opening yourself up to._ He'd be better off facing all the pirates by himself than coming between Nami and her treasure.

Dashing through the woods, the cliffs were finally in sight. She saw Usopp standing at the top of the slope... alone. Where was Luffy? As she neared, she could hear the hypnotist from before saying, "Now, when I say, 'One, two, Jango,' you'll step aside. One..." Abel suddenly had a sinking revelation. They never warned Usopp about the hypnotist's powers. Completely unaware of the danger, Usopp was just standing there watching the man. "Two..."

There was no time to even shout at him, so Abel did the only thing that came to mind. While still running, she threw her weight back, throwing her into a forward slide. She slid into Usopp like a pro baseball runner, kicking him in the back of the knees, causing him to fall onto his back ungracefully. Maybe not the most gentle way of warning someone, but at least Usopp was out of danger... for the moment. Abel observed the Black Cat Pirates as she quickly climbed to her feet. There was maybe somewhere between fifty to a hundred men. They all wore some sort of headpiece to give them cat ears, and wore what appeared to be kohl around their eyes to give them a slanted, cat-like appearance. Off handedly, Abel was glad Luffy didn't require the crew to follow some sort of weird dress code. This was the second pirate crew out of two they'd encountered where the crew had themed outfits.

The pirates looked shocked at her sudden, violent appearance. "Who's that woman!?" one of the pirates carrying (Nami's) bag of treasure asked.

Another one shouted, "Captain, this ain't no time for parlor tricks!" The hypnotist looked surprised, as if just now realizing that he no longer had an audience. Based on his blue coat, he was the acting captain of the Black Cats.

"Abel!" Abel didn't look back as she heard Usopp angrily clamber to his feet. She didn't want to take her eyes off the pirates for a second. "What was that for!?"

"My apologies," Abel answered. "But we forgot to warn you about him." She nodded to the hypnotist, who was watching them with as much confusion as the rest of his crew. "He's a hypnotist. Don't look at his medallion when he starts counting like that or you'll be under his control." She cast Usopp a sidelong glance. "Trust me. He could've put you to sleep... or worse." Abel didn't know if you can hypnotize someone into killing themselves, but she wasn't going to risk it.

Usopp blinked. "Really? Well then... thanks... I guess-"

"Usopp, you jerk!"

Abel couldn't help but look away from the pirates then, in time to see Nami smash her staff into the back of an unsuspecting Usopp's head, sending him flying forward. Nami wheeled around, glaring down at the pirates and pointing a wrathful finger down at them. "The treasure on that ship is mine!" she shouted. "And I'm not giving up one berri of it! Hang on to it for me, because I'm coming for it!"

Feeling a bit put off by their navigator's greed (but hey, so long as it got her in the fight, right?), Abel turned and helped Usopp back onto his feet... again. He rubbed the bump that he no doubt had under his bandana while glaring at Nami. Abel noticed for the first time that Usopp had a pair of goggles on now. They looked like simple swimmer's goggles, but they probably helped cut down on the sun's glare and protected his eyes from any dust and debris.

Seeing him back on his feet, Nami whirled around again. "What's the big idea!?" she demanded. "Giving away _my_ treasure!"

Before the two could start arguing, not that she didn't think Usopp didn't have a right to be angry, Abel asked, "Where's Zoro?" Nami blinked, forgetting her anger for a second and staring at the other woman in confusion. "He was with you when I left. Where did he go?"

Abel felt her suspicions rise when Nami looked away nervously. "I'm... not sure. He was right behind me." Her reaction did not reassure Abel. Nami glanced around hurriedly, looking for something to change the conversation. She found one easily. "Where's Luffy?" she asked, noticing for the first time that he wasn't there. "He charged off before any of us!"

"I don't know," Usopp answered. "Maybe he got lost... or scared."

Nami sighed, resting her staff on her shoulder. "He must be lost."

"What better time to discover that our frontline fighters have the directional sense of a sea sponge than in the midst of battle?" Abel wondered aloud.

"Okay, go attack them!" Usopp ordered, although it was unclear which woman he was talking to. He readied his slingshot. "I'll back you up!"

"What!? Why me!?" Nami shouted. "What can I do against an army of ruthless cutthroats? I'm only a girl!"

"You don't expect me to do it, just 'cause I'm a man?" Usopp shouted back. "Look how scared I am! My knees are shaking! See!?" Indeed, his knees were shaking like they'd been before, but it was pretty obvious this was deliberate.

"Well, look at me! I'm starting to cry!"

"You're dry as a desert!"

Abel stared back and forth between the two. _They're legitimately arguing over who is the most frightened..._ Abel had heard some really stupid arguments in her life, but this had to take the cake. The pirates were actually starting to look at Abel like they felt sorry for her. "I don't suppose you would consider surrendering out of pity, would you?" she asked them.

"... No," the hypnotist answered, although it did seem like he considered it.

"Then I'll have to ask again in the universal language of pirates." Violence. Before the pirates could interpret her cryptic words, Abel drew both crossbows and fired two bolts, taking out two pirates.

"Captain Jango! We're under attack!"

"I can see that you morons!" the hypnotist, now identified as Jango, shouted. "Don't just stand there!" The pirates didn't need more encouragement. The charged up the hill en masse, wielding all sorts of weapons, from clubs to axes. Abel continued to fire her crossbows, taking out the ones that were at the front of the mob. But there were too many for her to keep them all at bay. But Abel held her ground. She just needed to hold them off until Luffy or Zoro got here. Hopefully, anyway.

Behind her, she heard Usopp say, "Hey, I just remembered! I have some caltrops!"

"Hey, you've got some goodies in there!" Nami exclaimed, probably as Usopp opened his bag. "Gimme gimme!"

"Abel, get out of the way!" Abel obliged Usopp's warning and moved back several paces to stand with the other two, all the while firing her crossbows. Out of the corner of her eye, she said both Nami and Usopp holding handfuls of caltrops. "Caltrop Hell!" They threw the caltrops, and they scattered across the slope. The front row of pirates ran straight into them, screaming in pain as the tiny but very sharp points stabbed them in their feet. They had to stop in their charge, many of them jumping on one foot as they tried to remove the caltrops from their feet. The pirates behind them had to stop as well, unless they wanted to suffer the same fate as the ones in front.

"Yeah! It worked!" Nami cheered.

Abel used this to her advantage and started picking off the ones who were injured. She caught movement from Usopp out of the corner of her eye. It looked like he was finally drawing his slingshot. "Now it's time for my secret weapon! Lead Stars!" He fired a pachinko ball at a pirate, hitting him in the chin and sending him flying backwards. That slingshot of his packed a decent punch. Maybe this wouldn't be a disaster after all.

"You two are doing great! Keep it up!" Nami encouraged, patting Abel on the shoulder. "I'm going to take a breather."

While Abel simply ignored the girl, having not really expected anything less, Usopp looked quite upset about it. "But you haven't done any fighting yet!" he snapped.

"Eyes front and center, Usopp," Abel chastised. Usopp jumped, whirling back around the face the throng of pirates who only looked even more upset. He went back to shooting them. Abel had to admit, while his slingshot obviously had a slower firing rate then her repeating crossbows, he was very accurate with it. Nearly every time he shot it was to someone's head. If he'd been using a gun, the pirates would've been dead.

Abel heard Nami gasp behind her, and whipped her head around to look, fearing a pirate may have somehow sneaked behind them. Instead, Nami looked back at her with tears in her eyes. "There are caltrops behind us, too!" she sobbed. Now none of them could escape.

Abel blinked. "Consider it extra insurance that even if they get past us, those should slow them down." Look on the bright side, right? But Nami clearly didn't feel the same way.

A shadow loomed over Abel, and she spun around on her heel in time to see a pirate closing in on her, aiming a giant stone hammer at her head. She didn't have time to get out of the way, so her body moved on its own. She brought both crossbows up, catching the front edge of the hammer with the muzzles of her crossbows. The impact jarred Abel's arms, and she nearly dropped her weapons, but she stopped the hammer from hitting her. She wasn't too keen on using her precision weaponry for melee combat, but she'd rather have to fix her crossbows later than her face. Abel's arms shook as she and the pirate tried to overpower each other. He leaned all of his weight into his hammer, and Abel struggled to keep from folding under it. Sheer brute strength wasn't exactly her forte. And now she was stuck. If she let up for just a second, even to jump out of the way, she wouldn't be fast enough to avoid taking the brunt of the hammer. She didn't even trust her strength to hold up to move just one crossbow to shoot the bastard. The pirate smirked, knowing he had her trapped.

"Usopp!"

Abel's head turned of its own accord at Nami's horrified shriek. Another pirate had struck Usopp in the back of the head with a massive club, nearly cracking his skull open like a melon. Blood poured from the back of his head as he lay prone on the ground. Abel genuinely worried the boy might be dead. He wasn't moving.

As the pirate walked past him, however, Usopp reached up and grabbed his leg. Even the pirate looked surprised. "What some more?" he asked, and stared pummeling Usopp with the club. But the man refused to let go. "Let go, curse ye!"

"No!" Usopp rasped, amazingly still lucid. "Never! I'll never let you pass! My last tall tale will be a true one! This will be another boring day for my village!"

"Whelp!" another pirate cried, and rushed at Usopp with a saber.

Fortunately, Nami saved him, using her staff to knock the pirate out. But in doing so, she made herself a target. Another pirate charged at her from behind. "Blasted wench!" Nami turned in time to bring her staff up to defend herself, but the sheer force of the sword hitting her staff sent her careening into the cliff side. She slid to the ground, gasping.

Abel's brow creased in the beginning of frustration. _This is quite a predicament_, she thought, her brain working rapidly to find a solution. Usopp and Nami were down, and in her position she couldn't stop any of the pirates from getting up the hill. She eyed the pirate plaguing her with open contempt. _If I could just get rid of this fool_. She shifted her weight, angling the crossbows inward. Her arms were starting to fatigue, and by now she was using all the strength in her legs to push the pirate back.

"Don't waste your time on them!" Jango suddenly shouted. "We're late! We must sack the village! Have you forgotten Captain Kuro's orders!? If we ruin his plans, he'll cut all our throats! Do you understand that, you addled fools?"

This was more than enough to motivate the pirates into ignoring the trio and they made a mad dash back up the slope. "To the village! Hurry!" But instead of being eager to plunder, it was clear they were all afraid for their very lives.

"I think not," Abel growled. With the crossbows angled inward, she fired a bolt from each. Instead of ricocheting, the angle forced them to into the hammer. It may be heavy, but it was still just a poorly chiseled stone. The pirate gawked as the hammer crumbled into shards, leaving him holding just a stick. Before he could recover himself, Abel kicked him in the crotch. As he crumpled, she pistol whipped him for good measure, knocking him away.

With that fool dealt with, she aimed her crossbows at the pirates in front of her, still desperately trying to climb the slope. "Scatter Shot!" She fired a single, heavy bolt from each bow. As they flew through the air, the bolts shattered into a cloud of shrapnel and flew into the throng of pirates. The shrapnel might not look like much, but it had the same impact as a grenade going off. The shrapnel hit a wide group of the pirates, sending them flying back down the hill where the belonged. Some of them were too injured from it to get back up.

Adrenaline pumped through Abel's body, making her feel cold as she spun to face the pirates who were already past her. They were nearing the summit of the hill. "Please stop!" Usopp begged, unable to stand but not willing to give up the fight. "Please! Don't massacre my people!"

Abel raised her bows, preparing for another attack, but paused when the pirates were mysteriously sent flying back down the hill. She watched with mild surprise as they flew over her head, landing in a heap with the others. Facing the top of the hill again, Abel allowed herself a small smile when she saw what had stopped them. Off to the side, she heard Nami mutter crossly, "Well, it's about time..."

"What's this, Captain Jango!? You never told us we'd be facing demons on this job!"

Abel smirked. While she felt immense relief at the sight of Luffy and Zoro at the top of the hill, she imagined she might be a bit intimated if those glares were being directed at her. "Were you two up there this entire time waiting for the right moment to make a grand entrance?" she asked, approaching them. "I applaud your dedication to style, but maybe next time be a bit quicker."

Zoro ground his teeth, his eyes wild. But Abel had the feeling that his anger wasn't being directed at her... this time. "Blame Nami! She marooned me in that muck!"

"And Usopp didn't tell me which way was north!" Luffy shouted, looking like he'd already run a marathon.

"I didn't realize you guys were so tough!" Usopp admitted, sounding somewhat awed.

"Yup!" Luffy replied easily.

Nami scowled at the two. "What took you two so long? Stop for a manicure?"

Zoro grit his teeth so hard that Abel could hear them click together. His eyes burned into the navigator. "You left me stranded in that quagmire!"

Abel couldn't say she was surprised by that, but the least Nami could do in her defense was to at least look like she felt bad. Instead, she retorted, "That was an accident! Besides, it was better that one of us got free than for both of us to be stuck."

Probably the only thing keeping Zoro from lunging at Nami was that Abel was standing between them. "Then _you_ should have stayed stuck!"

"How was I to know which way was north and which wasn't north!?" Luffy yelled at Usopp.

"You ran off like you knew where you were going!" Usopp defended.

Luffy huffed, still not willing to admit he was wrong. "I only had a rough idea! Very rough!"

_Does their lack of concern for the enemy at hand come from confidence or stupidity?_ Abel wondered, eyeing the pirates down below. "If I may be so bold as to interrupt this stimulating conversation-" she spoke up, breaking off whatever arguments the group was still having. They all turned to Abel with wide eyes. "- I would like to point out that the enemy appears to be plotting something."

The others turned their gazed down the hill to see the battered pirates crowding around Jango. For all their trouble so far, at least it looked like the majority of the pirates were too injured to pose much of a threat. "Hey, they're still alive!" Luffy exclaimed. "They've got real spunk!"

"Now listen!" Jango was addressing is men. "We don't have time to play around here! If our opponent is strong, we must be even stronger!" He pulled out his medallion and began to swing it. The pirates watched with rapt attention. "Everybody, look at this ring! When I say, 'One, two, Jango,' you'll all become superhumanly strong, and all your wounds will heal instantly! And you'll keep getting stronger and stronger!"

Luffy blinked, watching the pirates closely. "What are those guys doing?"

"Who knows?" Usopp replied.

But Nami knew what it was. "Hypnotism! He's trying to make them believe that they're getting strong!" She snorted. "What a load of bilgewater!" Making someone fall asleep was one thing. Convincing them that they weren't wounded was another.

Regardless, the pirates watched the medallion closely. Jango started counting. "One... Two..." Before giving the final word, he pulled his hat over his eyes so he didn't hypnotize himself. "Jango!"

In a flash, the pirates were all on their feet, letting out a bloodthirsty roar. They seemed more than ready to fight. What's more, their injuries had completely healed! "No way!" Nami gasped in disbelief. "They were exhausted a moment ago!"

"It would appear the captain's hypnosis is no joke," Abel commented.

One of the pirates was so wound up that he punched the side of the cliff. Amazingly, the cliff actually crumbled where he punched it. "What the hell!?" Zoro exclaimed. "He broke the cliff! What power!"

"One of them can demolish a cliff, and there's a whole horde of them!" Usopp bemoaned. They could be in trouble now.

Jango pointed to the top of the hill. "Now march!" he ordered. "And if anyone tries to stop you, destroy them!" The pirates growled as they rushed up the hill.

Zoro considered them for a second, before observing the state the others were in. Usopp was definitely in the worst shape. His head was still bleeding, and it didn't look like he couldn't walk. Nami and Abel seemed to be unharmed. _If we hadn't been late..._ Zoro thought angrily. But there was no point worry over what couldn't be changed. "Abel," he called. Said woman turned to look at him questioningly. "Take Usopp and Nami to the top of the hill. Provide support if you see an opening, but don't make yourself a target." Without a word, Abel nodded and with Nami's help, pulled Usopp to his feet. He swayed between their grip, but after slinging an arm over each of their shoulders, he steadied out. Satisfied that his instructions were being followed, Zoro continued, "Luffy and I will deal with-" But he quickly cut off when he noticed their captain wasn't responding. In fact, he wasn't moving at all. He just stood there, as still as a statue. "Luffy?" he tried. But still, no response. "Luffy!?"

Suddenly, Luffy let out a yell that rivaled that of the pirates. His eyes were completely blank, but his expression was that of pure rage. Zoro's jaw dropped when he realized what'd happened. "He hypnotized you, too!?"

"That feeble-minded fool!" Nami grumbled, still helping Abel carry Usopp up the hill. "The hypnosis wasn't even aimed at him!"

Oblivious to everything, Luffy charged down to meet the pirates. "Gum-Gum Gatling!" Luffy punched so quickly that it looked like an army of hands rained down on the pirates. Not a pirate escaped unscathed by the barrage of fists. He sent the entire crew hurtling back.

Usopp staggered, nearly tripping the women carrying him. "His arms..." he breathed. Abel secretly smiled, wondering if people's reactions to Luffy's ability would ever get old. Not that it wasn't an impressive display. She was just learning not to be surprised by anything Luffy did. Nami and Usopp sat down on the grass along the top part of the cliffs, while Abel stood protectively nearby, crossbows at the ready.

Luffy charged again, and this time the pirates actually fled from him. Even under hypnosis, Luffy's strength was terrifying to them. They dived out of the way, but Luffy just ran past them all. Even Jango. His crew could only watch in confusion as he ran face-first into the Black Cat's ship. Luffy started growling and the veins in his arms started to become visible as he struggled to pull the stem post from the very ship! It should've been impossible, even for Luffy, but they could hear the wood groaning as it started to separate from the rest of the ship. "Go Luffy!" Nami cheered.

The pirates screamed in horror. "H-He's tearing off the stem post! He'll scuttle the ship!"

The stem post ripped from the ship. With the giant pillar of wood in his arms, Luffy turned, setting his eyes on the pirates. As he stumbled toward them, slowed by the weight of the post, his plan became obvious. "He'll smash us like roaches!"

The pirates stared to flee. "Captain! Do something!" they pleaded.

Jango whipped out his medallion. "On 'One, two, Jango,' you'll fall asleep!" he said in a rush. "One... two..." Again, he covered his eyes. "Jango!"

And just like that, Luffy was out like a light. Of course, Luffy couldn't sleep standing up, so fell to the ground in slow motion, the stem post coming with him. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which side of the battlefield you were on), the pirates were still right under it. Most weren't fast enough to get out of the way, and were crushed under its weight. Of course, it pinned Luffy under it as well, but based on his loud snoring, he wasn't hurt.

"That's one way to take care of the pirates," Abel mused.

"But now he's smashed under the stem post!" Usopp worried. He still didn't know about Luffy's resilience.

Zoro chuckled. "Don't worry about him. He'll be fine." He glanced over at the sharpshooter. "Just see to your own wounds."

Unexpectedly, a high-pitched voice cried out from the wrecked ship. "Hey, Buchi! Get over here! The bow's broken!"

"The bow!?" another, deeper voice replied, also from aboard the ship. "How'd that happen!?"

One of the pirates who were still conscious said, "Hey it's the Meowban Brothers! The ship guards!"

Abel crossed her arms as she absorbed this, bows hanging loosely in her grip. "It makes sense that they would leave a few men behind the guard the ship."

"Aye, girl!" Jango said, sounding very smug all of a sudden, which didn't bode well with Abel. "_They_ were still on the ship!" Throwing his arms out dramatically, Jango shouted, "Meowban Brothers! Come on down!"

Two figures leapt from the ship and landed with cat-like ease. Impressive, considering that was the equivalent of jumping from the second or third story of your average home. "You called, Captain Jango?" the first brother asked. He was a hunched back man with bright green eyes and hair (even greener than Zoro's) with bangs that swept to the side in a curl and sideburns that ended in curls. He had very sharp features, including a pointed nose, slitted eyes with long eyelashes and a toothy smirk. He wore a navy blue short-sleeve shirt, a magenta bow tie, short jean shorts that showed off his hairy legs, and ninja-esque split-toed shoes. Sticking with the crew's motif, he had cat ears and a pair of dark brown gloves with long, very sharp claws.

The other brother looked nothing like him. He was the polar opposite. He was a fat man, with pasty skin, a large, round face, sharp canine teeth protruding over his lower lip (although Abel couldn't say if they were fake or filed like that) and pig-like nose. He wore red-and-black striped pants, an orange sash around his waist, a bell around his neck, a short purple striped cap with the same split-toed shoes as his brother. He likewise wore a hat with cat ears and the same clawed gloves, although his were white. He also seemed to have painted black spots on various parts of his body. "What is it?" the brother asked.

"What are they?" Nami asked, eye the duo cautiously.

"Amazing," Usopp breathed. "They jumped from that high deck!"

Turning to the two brothers, Jango pointed up the hill and stated, "Buchi, Sham... we must get up that path! But as you can see, there's something in our way. Get rid of it!" Zoro's eye twitched, not liking being referred to as an "it."

The two looked up the hill and Zoro, took one look at his dark demeanor, and started to freak out. "W-we can't do that!" the green-haired one protested, sweating profusely. "Can we, Buchi!?"

"H-He looks really mean!" the fat brother, Buchi, agreed.

Now everyone was confused. "I thought they were some kind of secret weapon!" Usopp wondered.

"They're scared to death!" Nami agreed.

"It could be a ruse," Abel warned. "The hypnotist's confidence may be a smokescreen, but I believe it's safer to assume otherwise." Better to believe an opponent was stronger than they appear than the other way around. Abel turning a wary eye towards their swordsman. "Don't let your guard like you did with Buggy, Chief." Zoro scowled slightly at the reminder, but couldn't deny that she had a good point. He'd thought Buggy would be an easy fight, and it ended with him getting stabbed in the back.

The brothers were still arguing with Jango, trying to convince him not to make them go. "We're just the ship guards!" Sham was saying.

"Aye! We're not supposed to take part in any fights," Buchi added.

But Jango was losing his patience. Most likely because they were running out of time. "Sham! Attack that swordsman at once!" he yelled.

Sham jumped. "Huh!? Me!?

"Get him!"

Sham flinched at his captain's orders, but obeyed nonetheless. "All right! I'll go, I'll go..." However reluctantly. Sham charged up the hill at Zoro, arms and legs flailing in a very gangly, unfocused manner. "Ready or not, here I come!" he yelled. "I'll scratch your eyes out!"

"He thinks he can scratch me?" Zoro readied his sword. "I'll cut your fool head off if you don't stop!" he threatened.

But then a change came over Sham. He stopped his flailing, every muscle in his body tensing like a cat ready to pounce on a mouse. He grinned wickedly. "Go ahead, if you can..."

Zoro noticed the change instantly. "What the-" The only reason he was able to block Sham's claw attack was sheer bodily instinct.

Zoro glared at the cat-man, who let out a very cat-like pur. "You underestimated me, didn't you?" he said smugly. Sham disengaged from Zoro, jumped back several feet. "You fell for it!" he taunted. "I was just pretending to be a scaredy cat." Glowering, Zoro quickly turned to face him.

"He's not really a coward?" Usopp asked.

Nami gasped, noticing something even more important. "Zoro! You're swords!"

Zoro looked down at stared in horror as his other two swords, which had previously been at his side, were no longer there. "What the-!?"

Sham stood, revealing Zoro's two swords cross behind his back. If he looked smug before, it was nothing compared to now. He snorted as he assessed the swordsman. "Seems you have a bit of talent. But you shouldn't take Sham Meowban, guard of the Black Cat, too lightly!" He chuckled tauntingly. "Lose something, me bucko? Somehow your pretty swords ended up with me!"

A strange mix of anger and concern crossed Zoro's face then. _Rats! He got my swords!_

"Nuts! He swiped Zoro's swords!" Nami said. This wasn't good. In the short time she'd known Zoro, he always used at least two swords.

"Didn't I just warn you about this very thing?" Abel scolded. She just told the man to not let his guard down, and what does he do? The very thing she said not to.

Zoro growled, probably equally directed at Abel as it was Sham. "Give me back those swords!" he demanded.

"Give them back?" Sham asked before laughing. "Isn't one enough? Before we fight, I'd better check these." He pulled Zoro's off his back. "They'll just slow me down." Carelessly, he tossed both swords aside. Abel saw Zoro twitch. One of the fastest ways to tick off a swordsman was to mistreat their swords. From Abel's experience, most swordsmen considered their swords like an extension of themselves. Completely unconcerned, Sham licked his claws. "Purrr-fect! Now then, I've lightened me load."

Without hesitation, Zoro charged at Sham, sword poised. "Swords that don't belong to you should be treated more respectfully!" he growled. He slashed at Sham, cutting him across the stomach, nearly splitting the man in half. With a single strike, it looked like Zoro'd already finished the fight.

"He's good!" Usopp gasped, clearly impressed.

As Sham slowly fell to the ground, Zoro didn't pay him a second glance and ran towards his sword. He reached his hand out. "You dirty... you shouldn't have taken my swords!"

Just before Zoro could reach his swords, however, a voice taunted from behind, "Hey! My shirt!" Zoro gasped as his arms were grabbed from behind and a heavy weight sat on his back, causing him to stumble to the ground. "Oh well..." Sham sung, using his weight to pin Zoro to the ground. "I have a cat's waistline, you know!" Zoro glowered back at him, struggling against him. But with his arms pinned in that awkward position, he couldn't use all of his strength to get out of the hold. But how was he not dead?

Usopp gasped when he realized what had happened. "There was no stomach under his shirt!" he shouted. It was obvious now that the bottom half of Sham's shirt hung around his hips, revealing that the man was a lot skinnier than he first appeared. The shirt was actually a lot larger than his torso. So when Zoro'd cut him, he'd only cut his shirt. Very sneaky.

"C'mon, Buchi! Have a go!" Sham shouted eagerly for his brother.

"Aye-aye, Sham!" Buchi ran towards the two men on the ground. "Killing Technique..." Buchi jumped higher in the air than someone his size ought to be able to. "Cat..." He started falling at an alarming speed, aiming directly at Zoro's head.

But like hell Abel was going to let that happen. Zoro might get mad at her for interfering, but two-on-one wasn't exactly fair. Abel fired two bolts at Sham. They hit him in the arm, making him scream in pain. But more importantly, it caused him to let up on his grip on Zoro's arms. Seizing the opening, Zoro twisted around, throwing Sham off while simultaneously rolling out of the way of Buchi's attack. Good thing he did, too, because the force was enough to shatter the ground where the fat cat landed. "Stomp!" The force sent Sham and Zoro rolling away.

Usopp gasped at the damage. "The ground is cracking!" That was a deadly technique, to be sure.

Skidding along the ground, Zoro and Sham staggered to their feet. Sham cursed as the pulled the bolts out of his arms. The wounds were shallow, but they'd gotten the job done. Buchi turned on his brother in annoyance. "You should've sunk your claws into 'im, Sham!" he snapped.

"My bad, my bad," Sham replied, casting a glare up at Abel. "But someone decided to rudely interfere."

Ignoring the duo, Abel cast a worried glance at Zoro. He wasn't hurt, but he did look out of breath. Of course, that might just be from the close call. He couldn't afford to get hit by an attack like that. It would crush his bones.

Sham stood up, holding his claws in front of him. "You deal with the swordsman, Buchi. I'll handle the interloper." Abel readied her crossbows. Sham was fast, but so was she. The trick would just be keeping him at a distance.

"Right."

As Buchi faced Zoro, Zoro raised his single sword in front of his face. "I'm not good at one sword technique, but..." He didn't really have a choice

"Let's go, Buchi!"

"Okay, Sham!"

Buchi lunged at Zoro, clawing at him in a flurry of movements. It was a blur to everyone else. Zoro was able to block the attacks with his sword, but Buchi was going too fast for Zoro to see an opening. He was stuck on the defensive. _Damn! If I had just one more sword..._ Zoro thought.

Meanwhile, Sham ran at the cliff side where Abel'd perched herself. Abel fired her crossbows, but the man dodged them easily. He used his claws to grip the cliff and climbed up the rocks in a way that would've made a monkey jealous. Before he reached the top, Abel somersaulted off. Her eyes met Sham's as she fell headfirst, exchanging a heated look. While upside down, she fired her crossbows. Sham jumped in the air, narrowly avoiding them.

Abel knew Sham would try to attack her while she was in the air vulnerable. Twisting her torso, she got her feet under her. As soon as she touched the ground, she dived out the way, avoiding being impaled by Sham's claws. Instead, they jammed deep into the ground where she'd been mere seconds ago. The also ripped a long gash down the back of her coat. Less gracefully than she would've liked, Abel spun on her knees, coming around to face Sham again. There was no way she wanted to turn her back to him, even for a second.

Not giving her time to rest, Sham hissed at her like a pissed off cat before lunging, claws out ready to maim her. Abel dodged and weaved around his attacks, firing back in response. But it appeared that the two were evenly matched when it came to agility, as Sham weaved between the bolts.

Sham tried to uppercut her in the jaw, but Abel leaned back. She pulled her crossbows up, but didn't have time to fire as red-hot pain shot through her ribs. Abel cried out in pain. She hadn't noticed Sham's other hand coming up on her side, and now he had his claws digging into her left side. It felt like having five thick needles jammed into you all at the same time. Sham grinned triumphantly before pulling his claws out, letting Abel's side bleed freely. In the background, Abel thought she heard Nami scream her name, but it was hard to tell over the sound of blood rushing in her ears. While she was stunned, Sham used his claws to slash into her stomach, intending to gut her.

"Abel!" Zoro yelled in horror as he watched the woman fall back.

But taking his eyes off his opponent was a mistake. "An opening!" Buchi hissed, and slashed Zoro across the chest.

Zoro staggered back, clutching his bleeding chest. The cuts on his chest stung something fierce, but they weren't deep. Zoro quickly righted himself. With a quick glance at Abel to make sure she was still breathing, Zoro launched himself back at Buchi.

Watching the scene from a safe distance, Nami frowned in worry. "We're in real trouble." She stared as Usopp drew his slingshot. "What are you gonna do?"

"Providing artillery support!" was all he said as he took aim at Sham, who was looming over Abel's prone form, intending to finish her off while she was down. "Eat lead, cat!" Usopp sent a shot flying towards Sham, striking him solidly in the back.

Sham growled and staggered forward, losing his balance from the force. But he recovered quickly, and spun around to glare at the two. Nami and Usopp turned blue in the face. "Now he's after us!" Nami exclaimed, gripping her staff closer. Before he could attack them, however, Sham unexpectedly went flying face first into the cliff wall. Nami and Usopp blinked, wondering what had just happened.

The answer came quickly, when Abel rolled back onto her shoulders before flipping up onto her feet. "Abel!" both Nami and Usopp gasped in pleased surprise to see that the woman was all right.

Abel held her bleeding side gingerly. "I appreciate the assistance," she told Usopp, not taking her eyes off Sham as he pulled his face out of the rocks. Every breath made her side ache, so she tried to breath more from her chest than her abdomen. Plus, some of Sham's claws had broken in her corset bodice and were pricking her stomach. Ignoring the feeling, Abel scooped her crossbows up from the ground and quickly fired a volley at Sham, hoping the catch him off guard. Unfortunately, Sham ran to the side, almost like a blur. Abel followed him closely, trying to lead her shots, but he was too fast. She kept just missing him. A few times he tried to rush at her, but a few bolts raining his way had him keeping his distance.

Abel kept her eyes focused solely on Sham, not trusting herself if she lost sight of him. But she could still hear the clashing of steel from Zoro's fight with Buchi, telling her that he was still holding his own. She sensed more than heard Nami run behind her, down the hill. She felt the brush Nami's arm against her back as she slipped between Abel and the cliff wall, trying to stay as far from Sham as possible. The scent of tangerines, while always seemed to linger around Nami, tickled her nose. _What is she planning?_ Abel wondered. But it wasn't like she could ask, so Abel focused on keeping Sham to the opposite side of the slope to let Nami past. Luckily, Sham seemed more concerned with Abel than whatever Nami was up to.

Abel heard Usopp shouted in warning, "Look out!"

Abel tensed, unsure who he was trying to warn. _A name wouldn't go amiss_, she thought. But as Sham was still in sight, his warning wasn't directed at her.

Behind her, Abel heard Jango say smugly, "No swords for you!" The heavy, unmistakable sound of a body hitting the ground followed.

"You pig!" Usopp shouted in rage.

Abel feared the worst, and used her bolts to wrangle Sham so that he ran behind her, allowing her to turn to face the bottom of the hill. Her eyes narrowed at what she saw: Nami lying on her stomach behind Jango, bleeding from an unknown location near her neck. Jango had one of his medallions out, and thanks to the light of the morning sun, Abel could see that it was actually a bladed ring rather than just a decoration like she'd previously assumed. He stood over Zoro's swords, guarding them. It didn't take long for Abel to put two and two together. Nami had tried to get Zoro's swords back, but Jango had interfered. Abel sincerely hoped the girl was okay.

But just when things were starting to look like they were getting out of hand, everyone suddenly stopped. Sham froze mere feet from Abel, sweating heavily and shaking. Abel's brow furrowed in confusion. A quick glance told her that Jango was also looking equally petrified. And she couldn't hear Zoro and Buchi's fight anymore.

Suddenly, a cold sensation dripped down Abel's spine. It felt like someone had poured ice-cold water down her back. She stiffened, sensing a dark presence behind her. Slowly, Abel peered over her shoulder, up the hill. Apprehension shot through her when she saw the source of the pirates' fear: Kuro.

The man loomed threateningly at the top of the hill. He held a large duffle bag in one hand while he adjusted his glasses with the other. He spoke over the sound of chattering teeth. "It's long past dawn, but you seem to be having trouble following my plan." Despite Kuro's calm voice, Abel had the distinct impression that he was struggling to keep his composure. The muscles in her arms tensed as she saw him take a deep breath. "WHAT IN NEPTUNE'S NAME IS GOING ON!?" The pirates looked ready to pass out in fear as Kuro glared down at them. A look of utter disgust crossed his face, and he sneered, "Are you telling me these children held you up!? Is this what the pirates of the Black Cat have come to? Is that it, Jango!?"

Jango flinched as if struck. "B-But _you_ said it didn't matter if we let the kid go. That's what you said!" he protested, scrambling for any excuse to save himself.

"Yes, I said that," Kuro replied, calming somewhat. "And I was right. It shouldn't have been a problem. Anyone could have predicted he would try to thwart us. But I didn't expect your defenses to be so feeble! I'm in no mood to hear excuses." Abel allowed herself a small victory for having correctly predicted that Kuro was expecting them.

But it seemed that some of the pirates took exception to Kuro's choice of words. Sham and Buchi were slowly starting to come out of their trembling. "'Feeble,' says he?" Sham hissed. "Us!?"

"Care to say that again, Cap'n Kuro?" Buchi added.

Completely ignoring Abel, Sham stalked past her, eyes burning into Kuro. He and Buchi completely forgot about their fight with the Straw Hats in that moment. Abel could see Sham's muscles tensing. "Maybe you were strong... once."

Kuro looked completely unfazed by the approaching cats. "You have something to say?" he drawled.

Behind them, Jango shouted, "Avast! Buchi, Sham, belay that!"

As the two cats seemed intent on mutiny, Zoro allowed himself to take a quick check of the two women. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Abel had holstered her crossbows and was instead fiddling with a proper arrow. He could see blood dripping from the holes in her side, and the satin lining at the front of her corset had been torn, but she seemed to be doing fine, aside from wincing every so often when she breathed. Feeling his eyes on her, Abel raised her head from whatever she was doing. She read Zoro's concern in his eyes, and gave him a small nod to reassure him. His expression remained neutral, but his eyes softened slightly in relief.

The same was true of Nami. She was sitting up, unnoticed, behind Jango. She pressed her hand to her bleeding shoulder, watching the scene unfold before them intently. _Good, everyone's all right,_ Zoro thought. A bit battered, but still standing.

Meanwhile, Sham and Buchi were stalking near Kuro. "A lot can change in three years!" Sham hissed threateningly. "We ain't been living in a fancy mansion, getting slow and soft!"

"We plundered countless villages... we sent many a rival crew down to see Davy Jones!" Buchi added.

The two brothers lunged at once, claws poised. "You'll find we ain't so easy to kill!" Sham yelled.

"You've been out of action for three years! You think you can beat the sharp claws of the Meowban Brothers?" Buchi snapped.

But despite some rumblings among the crew that the brothers might actually have a point, Kuro seemed completely unfazed. And that set Abel on edge. She didn't know what to expect of the man, but she knew it probably wouldn't be good for their health.

Kuro merely readjusted his glasses as the brothers rushed at him. "You ain't our captain no more!" Buchi screamed.

"If you're just gonna kill us anyway, we'll kill you first!"

They slashed at Kuro at the same time... but the man disappeared faster than a blink. So all they ended up doing was tearing up his duffle bag. Abel's eyes narrowed in apprehension as Kuro appeared out of thin air behind the brothers. She hadn't seen him move at all. "Who are you going to kill?" he drawled menacingly. He stood with his legs spread, shoulders square. On his hands, he wore a set of black, furry gloves... that had swords attached to the fingertips. Not claws, like the rest of the crew, but full-length swords. One on each finger. With his lanky arms and hunched over stance, Kuro looked like something out of a kid's nightmare.

Usopp blinked, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him. "How'd he get behind them!?"

"The... the Stealth Walk!" some of the pirates mumbled.

Zoro's eyes narrowed as he examined Kuro's weapon. Turning his head to the side while keep his eyes on the cat, he said, "I think you were off about him using a dagger."

Abel blinked, surprised that Zoro would bring that up now. It sounded like something she would've said. "In my defense," she replied easily, "I doubt many people would conceive of attaching ten katanas to their hands. I hardly understand your technique as it is." Zoro didn't respond, but Abel saw him twitch slightly.

"He got behind us!" The brothers whirled around, only to find Kuro wasn't there anymore.

"He's... not there."

Kuro draped his arms over their shoulders from behind in a very chummy manner. But between their petrified, frozen expressions and Kuro's shadowed face, he might as well be putting a gun to their heads. The threat was loud and clear. "You two were right," Kuro stated. "I have gotten soft. It's true I'm not your captain anymore..." He pointed the swords on his thumbs at their necks, and the brothers started to tear up in sheer terror. "But I hired you to do a job! And the penalty for failure is death!"

"Nobody ever outmaneuvered the Meowban Brothers before!" Abel wasn't sure why the crew so surprised at Kuro's skills. They'd served with him on the same ship, hadn't they? Killers like Kuro don't change. It was like domesticating a lion. It may seem tame, but it would always be a wild animal.

Voicing her thoughts, Jango said trembling, "What did you fools expect? Captain Kuro's Stealth Walk is a technique for undetectable movement. You could gather fifty assassins, and they'd all be dead before they knew he was near. We've got the carry out his plan." He shuttered as he thought of something unpleasant. "When I saw him for the first time after three years, and saw that habit of his, I shivered. To avoid scratching his face with his Cat Claws, he pushes his glasses up his nose like that." He was referring to the odd way Kuro used the palm of his hand rather than his fingers. It made sense now. "It's proof that he hasn't forgotten how to kill!"

Kuro stabbed the very end of his sword into Buchi's neck, causing the cat to yowl and his brother the sweat bullets. "Three years of inaction have softened my heart," Kuro stated in a cold voice. He gave his crew a dark stare. "You've got five minutes. If everything isn't sorted out by them..." Dramatic pause. "I'll kill every last one of you with my own hands."

The pirates started freaking out. "I don't wanna die!"

With his ultimatum delivered, Kuro stepped back, giving Sham and Buchi space to work. He stood intimidatingly at the top of the hill. Zoro and Abel readied themselves for the attack sure to come.

"Five minutes?" Jango sounded both tense and relieved. Relieved they might not die, but tense at the short time limit. "We can finish this in five minutes!" he assured.

Sham stretched his claws, eyeing Zoro and Abel with bloodlust and a bit of desperation. "No problem!" he said, more to himself than anyone else. "We'll team up and finish off the swordsman first, then we'll take out the woman! We'll kill them real quick! Then we can charge right up the slope!"

Buchi nodded. "Aye, we were beating them before! They ain't so fearsome! They'll be shark bait in five seconds!"

Buchi and Sham rushed at Zoro at once. Unfortunately for them, the short reprieve had been enough for Abel to make some adjustments to her strategy. She nocked a peculiar-looking arrow in her bow. Rather than having the typical arrowhead, the end was spherical. It looked too heavy to be practical. But this was a special invention of Abel's, and it was going to get the job done. When Sham leapt into the air, claws reaching out for Zoro, she took quick aim. "Sit down," she growled, and fired the arrow. Zoro flinched when the arrow barely grazed his cheek. As it neared Sham, the sphere at the end broke off from the fletching and split in half, with both halves connected by a thin rope. The bola ensnared Sham around the chest, binding his arms to his sides.

"What the-!?" he exclaimed, falling to the ground.

The bolas started flashing red, the flashing increasing until... BOOM! When the smoke cleared, Sham was just a crispy kitty.

"Sham!" Buchi shrieked, looking at his smoking, unconscious brother in rage.

"What was that!?" Usopp cried, both shocked and impressed. If they all survived this, maybe they could talk shop later.

Lowering her bow, Abel answered, "My Bola Bomb."

Buchi wheeled around, glaring at the woman. "You wench! You'll pay for that!"

"Zoro!" Everyone's head whipped around at Nami's shouted. "Your swords!" With Jango distracted, Nami was able to kick Zoro's swords into the air.

Zoro's eyes widened. "Why you- First you trample me, then you kick my swords!?"

Nami just smirked. "What? No thank you?"

Abel ducked as the swords flew past her, and Zoro snatched them midair. A grin stretched across his face, already feeling a thousand times better with all of his swords in hand. "Thanks!" he called back as he drew his swords, putting himself in between Abel and the charging Buchi.

"Then I'll take you out first!" Buchi snarled, rage filled eyes shifting to the swordsman blocking his path to his true target. "You may have more swords now, but your skill is the same!"

Zoro snorted, placing the white sword between his teeth. "You don't understand. Wielding three swords, and following the Three-Sword Technique, are very different things." Below, the pirates cheered for Buchi to hurry and finish them off. As Buchi neared, screaming like a banshee, Zoro took on a new sword stance. He crossed his two swords behind the one in his mouth, holding them in an H shape. "Tora Gari!" Zoro lashed out with his swords, carving into Buchi's abdomen three times. Buchi's unmoving body sailed over Zoro's head, hitting the ground hard and sliding down the slope.

All around them, the pirates gasped at Zoro's power. With a single sword strike, Zoro had finish Buchi off. Abel had to admit, the difference in his skills with three swords was impressive. Against all logic, Zoro was better with three swords than one. _He must have trained exclusively using three swords from the beginning of his career, rather than starting with one and working his way up,_ Abel realized. Very strange indeed.

Boldly, Zoro pointed a sword at Kuro. He smirked around his sword. "Don't worry. It won't even take me five minutes to trash you all!" Abel mentally sighed. He could stand to hold back on the bravado some.

Kuro looked quite displeased. "Try it," he threatened evenly.

"Th-that bilgerat!" Abel turned, displeased to hear Buchi still talking. He struggled to sit up, blood pouring from his chest. "I'll... I'll smash your bones! Captain! Captain Jango! Hypnotize me!"

"He's still alive," Kuro commented passively. "Your claws need sharpening."

Zoro scowled. "All that blubber saved him..."

Abel watched in dismay as Buchi watched Jango's medallion. Suddenly, his muscles started bulging, and he jumped to his feet with a mighty roar. Muscles protruded through his fat, and the wounds Zoro had just inflicted on him stopped bleeding. "Oh, boy! Hypnotism again!?" Zoro growled. Zoro was not happy. _That cat's a real nuisance! He could already make the earth crack! What's he gonna be like with super powers!?_

Abel readied her bow, unsure of who Buchi's first target would be. As she did, she saw Nami turn and start running towards the Black Cats' ship. _What is she doing?_

Too bad Abel wasn't the only one to notice it. "Now what are you up to, you meddling wench?" Jango growled and hurled his medallion at her. "Die!"

Not noticing her impending doom, Nami glared as she neared Luffy's sleeping body. Just like him to sleep through a crisis. Even if he was asleep, she couldn't help growling, "Everyone else is fighting with serious injuries... and look at you! Wake up!" She stomped as hard as she could on Luffy's head.

Abel's hands twitched on her bow, wishing she could shoot the medallion out of the air. But at that angle, her own arrow would just end up hitting Nami. All she could do was shout a warning. "Nami, get down!" Nami whirled around, eyes widening when she saw how close the medallion was to her.

"I'll split you in two!" Jango shouted. Nami could only remain frozen in place, fear preventing her from moving.

"That's a chakram!" Usopp gasped. "It's not just for hypnotizing people!"

Then the unexpected happened. Right when the chakram was inches from Nami's face, Luffy stood up, right in the way. "Why'd you have to step on my head!?" Luffy yelled angrily at Nami... right before the chakram hit him in the back of the head.

"Luffy!" Nami shrieked as Luffy stumbled forward with the ring embedded in his head.

"He's still alive?" Jango asked to no one in particular.

"What lousy timing. Or maybe not so lousy," Zoro commented. Luffy either had the best or worst timing ever.

Kuro actually looked surprised for a change. "That lad?" Wasn't he supposed to be dead?

Luffy being Luffy, however, he recovered quickly from nearly having his skull split open. He quickly regained his balance. Jango looked rather horrified. "Impossible! He's still standing?"

As if it was the most normal thing in the world, Luffy reached around and yanked the ring from his scalp. Abel winced at how painful that must be. Nami looked ready to faint as Luffy held his head. Zoro allowed himself to relax a little. "Looks like Luffy's back in action!"

"THAT REALLY HURTS!" Luffy screamed.

Now the pirates were really starting to panic. "Buckets o'blood! Now what!?"

"We got less than five minutes left!"

Oblivious to everything going on around him, Luffy instead focus on Nami and yelled, "That really hurt!"

"It wasn't me, Luffy!" she protested. The excitement must've been too much for her (or maybe it was the blood loss) because she slumped to her knees. Now that Luffy was awake, things should be okay.

Luffy's face turned serious when he saw Nami holding her bleeding shoulder. "You're bleeding," he softly stated, concerned for his crewmate.

Nami looked away. "It's nothing. I'm fine. I've done all I can. I'm leaving the rest to you." She gave a light smile. "After all, this is one fight we gotta win!"

"Nami?" Luffy trailed off, surprised at Nami's selfless attitude.

"There's a lot of treasure on the line!" Nami interrupted, her eyes taking on their familiar gleam.

Luffy snorted, putting his hat back on. "That's more like it."

"Welcome back, Boss," Abel called, waving slightly at Luffy as he faced up the hill.

Luffy took a second to take everything in. It looked like he'd missed out on a lot of fighting. "Hey, the evil butler is here," he noticed.

Kuro checked his watch. Strange, how such an innocuous action could instill such fear. "Three minutes left... before I massacre everyone."

A yelp went out among the pirates. "No! Even Jango and Buchi can't stop them in only three minutes!

Jango snarled, pulling out two more chakrams from his coat. "Buchi! There's no time to think! You kill the guy in the truss and woman! I'll take the Straw Hat!"

"Klahadore! Stop!"

Everyone looked to the top of the hill in shock as a voice broke through the battlefield. Kaya stood before them, looking out of breath but livid.

Usopp paled, fearing for her life. "Kaya! What are you doing here!?"

"Hey! Isn't that the girl from the mansion?" Jango realized. "She's our real target!"

"Then we don't have to sack the village? We just gotta kill the girl, right?" But Kaya didn't seem the least bit put off by hearing they were planning to kill her. She looked as if she expected it. Had she somehow learned the truth?

"What a lovely surprise, Miss Kaya," Kuro greeted, completely nonplussed that the girl he'd been plotting to kill for three years was standing right before him. "What brings you here?" Abel's skin crawled at how... normal Kuro sounded.

Kaya didn't waver, however. "Merry told me everything," she said.

"Merry? He lived?" Kuro murmured. "I thought I had killed him."

Kaya paled at how carelessly Kuro talked about killing someone. Her fists clenched, and she turned to Usopp with sad, pleading eyes. "I'm sorry, Usopp! How can you even forgive me? I was so wrong about you. I just couldn't believe that Klahadore was a pirate."

"It's okay, Kaya!" Usopp protested vehemently. "Why did you come here? You've got to escape! They're out to kill you!"

"But aren't you fighting them!?" Kaya yelled, tears in her eyes. Her outburst stunned Usopp into silence. "Even though we treated you so horribly? Even though you're bleeding all over?"

Usopp shook his head. "Of course! I'm... I'm a... brave warrior of the sea!"

Ignoring him, Kaya faced Kuro again, resolve unwavering. "Klahadore! If you want my fortune, I'll give it to you! Just take it and leave the village alone!" Abel had to give the girl credit; it took a lot of guts to do that. Most rich people cared little for those "beneath" them, but this girl was willing to give up everything to protect her home.

"Not good enough, Miss Kaya," Kuro said, his eyes burning into the girl. "Yes, I want your fortune, but I also want... peace of mind." A peaceful smile cross Kuro's face, but Abel wasn't sure it belonged there. "I spent three years earning the trust of the villagers here. I've grown comfortable; I can even relax. Only when I have that peace of mind and your wealth, will my plan have been accomplished. Thus, the pirate attack on the village, and your accidental demise, are both quite essential."

Abel felt the bile rise in her throat. _This... man!_ She didn't even think it was right to call him that. _He wants to fulfill his greedy impulses without suffering the consequences._ If you were going to be a criminal, at least accept the life of an outlaw.

"Run, Kaya!" Usopp pleaded. Every second she stayed here only shortened her life. "Don't waste your breath on him! He's not the man you knew!"

But the girl had even more guts than anyone had ever given her credit for, as she pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Kuro. Everyone watched the unfolding scene tensely. Did the girl really have the will to kill the man who'd raised her for years? But she didn't waver. "Leave this village alone!" she demanded.

Kuro's stance relaxed as he considered the girl before him. "You've really grown up in the last three years." Kaya flinched, not wanting to be reminded of how deep Kuro's betrayal went. "And I've been at your side for all the changes, haven't I? Even before you lost your parents and became ill, you and I spent a lot of time together. We went sailing together. Took trips to town together. When you had a fever, I stayed at your bedside day and night." With each memory, tears flooded Kaya's eyes. Her hands started to tremble, the gun clattering. "I suffered with you... laughed with you. I was ever your humble servant. I humored you, Miss Kaya, in all your silly dreams. And I endured it..." Kuro's glare cut through Kaya like a knife, and his next words cut into her soul worse than his swords ever could have. "All for today! The day I could kill you!"

While Kaya was slowly breaking down, Abel felt like her soul was aflame with indignation. She'd never heard such... such blatant disregard for someone's life._ To be used and cast aside like some broken toy in a spoiled child's hands..._ The conversation was making her feel physically ill. Abel could brush off most things, because most things in life weren't getting worked up over. But not this...

Kuro, however, seemed to take great pleasure in tearing apart Kaya's world. He really was a psychopath. "I, who was once the dread Captain Kuro, bowed and scraped to a spoiled little girl, and catered to her every whim, day and night. Can you fathom my humiliation?" The gun fell numbly from Kaya's hands.

Clearly Abel wasn't the only one feeling disgusted, because Usopp lunged at Kuro, screaming his name in rage as he drew back his fist. Kuro barely blinked. "Usopp... That reminds me..." When Usopp swung, Kuro used his Stealth Walk to get behind him. "I still owe you for hitting me. You hit me with all your might." He raised his arms, preparing to finish Usopp off.

But before he could, a fist literally came flying out of nowhere and punched him in the jaw. "Wh-What was that!?" Jango exclaimed.

"Captain Kuro is down!" his crew yelled as he collapsed to the ground.

Luffy's arm retracted back to his side. He grinned wickedly. "If you don't like getting hit, I'll punch you a hundred times more!"

The pirates gaped at Luffy like he was a monster. "What was that!? That kid! He sent Cap'n Kuro sailing! From all the way over there!?"

A long silence stretched over the hill as Kuro remained sprawled out on had back. Abel could almost physically feel the rage seeping out of Kuro, even though he remained completely unmoving. Luffy'd landed a solid hit. A man like Kuro would be livid after that. Abel glanced back at Luffy, who kept his eyes glue to Kuro's prone form. He cracked his knuckles, sensing that things were only about to kick up a notch.

The pirates must've sensed Kuro's rage as well, because they looked ready to wet themselves. "That tears it! Now Cap'n Kuro's really mad!"

"What'll happen to us?"

Before anyone could do anything, however, there came a rustling in the woods at the top of the slope, followed by a small voice shouting, "Now!"

The Usopp Pirates leapt from the woods, screaming like little heathens and wielding makeshift weapons. "Usopp's Pirate Crew, ready for action!" Carrot-top yelled, holding a frying pan.

"Prepare yourself, you smelly butt-ler!" Pepper shouted, carrying a baseball bat.

Onion carried a small shovel. "Yeah, smelly butt-ler!"

Usopp's eyes widened in horror. "You guys... what?" Why were they here?

"Hey, you kids shouldn't be here!" Kaya yelled, fearing for their lives.

But the kids ignored them, and began bashing Kuro in the face with their "weapons," all the while shouting battle cries and things about pirates disturbing the peace. Completely oblivious to the danger they were putting themselves in. If Kuro didn't like when Usopp punched him, how angry would he be at being hit by a bunch of kids?

"That's enough, crew!" Usopp ordered, trying to muster what authority he had left. "Stop!"

"What are those little devils thinking?" Zoro wonder aloud.

"Clearly they're delusional in thinking they stand a chance against a real pirate," Abel answered.

The boys finally stopped, and Kuro remained motionless. But only a fool would think this meant things were over. "All right! That oughta teach him!" Carrot-top said. The boys then ran up to Usopp, looking quite displeased. "I knew it! The Captain's been fighting!"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Pepper demanded. "You smell like sweat!"

"No! He smells like he's forgotten his faithful crewmen!" Onion added.

Usopp grit his teeth. "I don't care what I smell like! You guy's gotta scram - now! Beat it! Run for it!" This is specifically why he lied to them. He didn't want the put them in danger. They were just kids.

But they apparently wouldn't hear it. "No! We're with you, Captain!" Carrot-top protested.

Pepper held his bat aloft. "We're gonna fight!"

"Running away would disgrace Usopp's Pirate Crew!" Onion added.

But the boys' bravado disappeared the instant Kuro climbed to his feet. They turned blue in the face when his lanky shadow loomed over them. Kuro adjusted his glasses, but only the frame remained. The glass dropped to the ground like rain. The boys jumped back, screaming in absolute terror. "You idiots!" Usopp yelled. "Get out of here!"

Kuro just walked by them, either choosing to ignore or dismiss them. He pulled the bandage from where Usopp had punched him at the mansion off his face with his claws, demonstrating his nimbleness with the massive weapon. As he walked past Usopp, Kuro kicked him in the stomach, sending him rolling down the hill. Abel feared for a moment he intended to finish Usopp off, but it appeared that Kuro had his eyes set on someone else. "That smarted a bit..." he drawled, eyeing Luffy intently. Studying him. "You displayed an unusual ability. You must have the power of the Devil Fruit."

Luffy smirked, raising his arm. "That's right! I ate the Gum-Gum Fruit! I'm a Gum-Gum man!"

"Ye gads! The Devil Fruit!?" The pirates were really starting the freak out over every little thing, weren't they?

"That's trouble, if there really is such a thing!"

"I thought he seemed odd!"

"Gum-Gum man, eh?" Jango studied his own arm, pondering Luffy's abilities. "That stretching arm was no illusion, then. But I hit him with my chakram, and he's still walking. How could that be?" That had nothing to do with Luffy's Devil Fruit. That was just Luffy himself.

"Jango!" Kuro called down. The man in question jumped, his attention snapping back to Kuro. Kuro held his blades out. "I'll kill the Gum-Gum man. You just deal with Miss Kaya. Force her to write the will, as we planned, then kill her." He glanced over his shoulder before adding, "And those three nipping pups, too. They're a nuisance."

Jango adjusted his hat. "Aye-aye, Cap'n."

Jango started to walk up the hill... until someone blocked his path. Jango jerked to a halt when Abel moved in front of his, holding her bow up with an arrow ready to go. She eyed the hypnotist coolly. "You didn't really think I was just going to allow you to waltz by?" she asked.

Jango scowled, clearly becoming impatient. "Buchi!"

Buchi let out a loud yowl and leapt into the air. "Cat..."

Abel frowned, already moving out the way of Buchi's inevitable attack. _You obnoxious feline..._

"Stomp!" Buchi fell to earth like a meteor. But this time, instead of merely cracking the ground, it literally exploded under him. The shockwave broke up chunks of the cliff on either side of the slope. And even though she'd dodge the direct attack, Abel got swept up in the shockwave. A chunk of rock struck her dead center in the chest, sending her crashing into what was left of the cliff wall. Abel hit the cliff hard, simultaneously stunning her and knocking the breath out of her. She hit the ground hard on her knees, her bow clattering somewhere in the rubble. Abel shook her head as she slowly stood, trying to clear the fog from her mind. _I hate getting knocked around. This is why I prefer to fight from a distance._

A loud roar broke Abel inner grumbling, and she looked up to see Buchi bearing down on her, claws ready to ripe her to shreds. Abel's eyes widened. She had nothing to defend herself with. Even if she did, she knew her strength didn't match that the psycho cat's. So she did the only thing she could: she raised her arms to shield her face and neck, hoping to at least prevent the impending injury from being fatal. But where she was expecting a lot of pain, instead she felt a warm body hit her in the chest, knocking her back into the cliff again. Opening her eyes, Abel almost gasped when she saw Zoro directly in front of her, blocking Buchi's assault. He caught the cat's claws with one sword while he had his boot in Buchi's face, trying to push him away. His back pressed into her chest as he tried to maintain his balance to keep the cat at arm's length. Abel felt a sudden rush of relief and gratitude towards the man.

Zoro's arms shook as he struggled with Buchi's strength. He glowered at the other. "You already lost to me one," he growled. "So stop pestering me!" He kicked Buchi away.

As Zoro straightened, putting some distance between himself and Abel again, Abel found her bow and quickly scooped it up. She turned toward Zoro and said, "I appreciate that. I suppose that makes us even now."

Zoro didn't respond. He just eyed her. Zoro honestly couldn't say if he thought Abel was just always so calm, or if the things she said served to _keep_ her that way.

Unfortunately, in all the chaos, Jango had managed to get past them. Kaya backed away fearfully as the hypnotist got closer. Usopp struggled to rise to his feet, but his body just didn't have the strength left. _Ow! I'm too dizzy to stand up! But I gotta stop that guy!_ Everyone had fought too hard to lose now. There was only one thing Usopp could think to do. "Usopp's Pirates!" he yelled.

The boys stood at attention. "Aye, Cap'n!" They may be afraid, but they weren't going to back down. Not when their Captain had already fought so bravely.

"We're warning you - we mean business!" Carrot-top warned.

"We won't run off when our Captain needs us!" Pepper sneered.

"We'll make you pay for hurting the Captain!" Onion threatened.

But Usopp had something else in mind. "Protect Miss Kaya!"

His ordered stunned the boys into silence. Even Kaya looked surprised. "Usopp..." she breathed. Even after everything, he was still trying to protect her. She was truly blessed to have a friend like him.

Even though he lay on the ground, Usopp mustered what dignity he had left. "I'm entrusting you men with the most important job of all! Get Kaya away from here safely! Don't let me down, men! That's an order from your Captain!"

"Aye, Captain!" The boys hurried over to Kaya, unflinchingly following their orders.

Zoro allowed himself a small smile. "He's got a quick tongue, that Usopp," he said in admiration. "He gave the boys and Kaya an honorable reason to run."

Kaya seemed hesitant, but she followed as the boys tugged her along by her hand. If they could reach the woods, they could lose them. They knew the woods better than anyone. Jango, however, wasn't going to let them get away so easily. "I won't let you escape!" he growled, spinning two chakrams around on his fingers.

Fortunately, he never had a chance to throw them. "Fly, Lethal Star!" Usopp shot him in the back, sending Jango flying ungracefully forward. Usopp grinned. "Ha! That's what you get!"

Jango clamored to his feet. "Little bilgerat... owie!"

"Jango!" Kuro snapped, growing impatient. "Get up and follow them!"

Jango rubbed his sore back and followed after them, albeit with a limp. "Aye-aye!"

As he disappeared into the woods, Kuro turned to face the Straw Hats. "It's useless," he warned. "I, more than anyone, know how frail that girl's body is. They'll never escape Jango. Run for help, if you wish. But..." He adjusted his glasses. "You'll have to get up this slope first." Between him and Buchi in the way, that was no easy task.

Usopp realized this. "Curses. The tables are turned!"

"Usopp," Luffy called, coming to stand with Zoro and Abel. "Leave it to us."

It didn't take long for the sounds of destruction to reach the group. It sounded like... trees falling. "What was that sound?" Usopp asked hesitantly.

"It's probably Jango, finishing off your friends," Kuro replied. "Go see for yourself, though you may be too late."

"You'd better hurry to their aid," Zoro told Usopp, preparing himself to attack.

Kuro looked unconcerned. "If you can..."

"You..." Usopp dug his hands into the dirt in frustration. How could this man be so cold? Even if he only cared for money, how could he live everyday with someone and not feel... something?" "You lived in the same home with her for three years! Don't you have an ounce of feeling for her?"

"Not an ounce," Kuro said all too easily. "As I said, Kaya was a pawn I needed to further my plan. When she dies, then I'll say my thanks."

"Don't waste your breath, Usopp," Abel warned. "Sociopaths care only for themselves. They merely mimic emotions to manipulate people to their own ends." Tellingly, Kuro didn't appear bothered by being called a sociopath.

Zoro scowled. "You irredeemable scoundrel."

Luffy snorted. "Who wants to redeem him?"

Despite his injuries, Usopp managed to get on his feet. "I'll never let slime like you win!" Usopp's legs shook, but they were moving. With determination, het put one foot in front of the other, slowly making his way up the hill.

Kuro actually looked impressed. "You can move? Impressive. Buchi!"

Buchi growled and lunged at Usopp. But before he could reach him, Zoro intervened. "Outta my way." He caught Buchi by the throat with the back of one of his swords. "I'm..." He pulled the cat back. "In a hurry!" Zoro pushed Buchi to the ground and quickly sat on his chest, pressing the edge of a sword against his throat. Zoro grinned wickedly. "You've been a bad kitty. Stay down and shut up, and I may let you live!"

But instead of taking the opportunity to continue, Usopp's body gave out on him. He collapsed in a heap, falling on his knees and head in an awkward triangle pose. "Usopp!" Luffy gasped in concern.

"N-No!" Usopp cursed. "My body... I can't move!"

Kuro began to laugh uproariously. "You looked ridiculous! But you're much safer on the ground like that. If you caught up with Jango, he'd only kill you."

Usopp turned his head to face the man. His eyes were tearing. "Doesn't matter... gotta protect 'em... I gotta protect those kids!" He had to do something or he could never live with himself.

"Usopp..." Zoro breathed. Zoro had to admit, while Usopp may lack strength or fighting skills, his heart was as big as they came. Of course Buchi had to ruin the moment by swiping at Zoro's head. Fortunately, Zoro brought his second sword up to block him. But the force of the attack knocked him into the cliffs.

Usopp refused to give up, even though his body wasn't listening anymore. "I'm Captain Usopp... and they're my crew! I'm a brave warrior of the sea! I won't let you lay a finger on the villagers!"

The pirates apparently found this hilarious, as they began laughing so hard they cried. "Look at 'im, shouting threats with his rump in the air!"

Their laughter quickly turned to screams as Abel tossed a Bola Bomb their way. It exploded quickly, scattering them in the blast. Abel tossed them a cold look. "Men who've been defeated twice have no right to criticize anyone." That shut them up.

Buchi lunged at Zoro again, only to be blocked by Zoro's swords. The swordsman was quickly losing his patience. "Kitty cat..." he growled around his third sword. "I told you... never get in my way again. You were warned!" That was it. Zoro was ready to finish this cat off for good. "Outta my way!" In a flash, Zoro sliced Buchi's chest open. The cat collapsed to the ground, finally down for good. There was no hypnotist around to bring him back.

Zoro sheathed his swords as he stepped over Buchi. "Luffy! I'll carry Usopp and go after the hypnotist!" He jogged over the where Usopp still lay. Easily, he picked him up and slung Usopp over his shoulder. Once he had the sharpshooter secured, he started up the hill. "Got a problem with that?"

"No!" Luffy answered quickly. "Just hurry up and go!"

Zoro didn't waste any time. He started up the hill. Zoro met Abel's gaze, asking without words if she was coming. Abel considered it for a moment. She could certainly travel faster than Zoro, but she would have to wait for them to navigate the woods, or she'd be just as lost. So going would just slow everything down. In the end, Abel decided against it, and shook her head, telling Zoro to go one without her. She didn't want to leave Luffy here alone. She didn't trust Kuro to play fair. Plus, there was still Nami, who Abel noticed had slipped onto the Black Cat's ship earlier while everyone was preoccupied.

Usopp had mixed feelings about being carried. He was glad he was on his way to help Kaya, but embarrassed about needing to be carried. "S... sorry," he struggled to say.

"I'd make better time on my own," Zoro admitted. "But they're in the woods. I'll never catch them without you to guide me."

As Zoro passed Kuro, the man suddenly moved. "So, boy... who gave you permission to climb this slope?" he asked, drawing his claws up.

"I did!" Luffy threw a punch at Kuro, which he was able to dodge. But at least that opened the path for Zoro and Usopp. "Run, guys!"

With his crew safely out of the way, Luffy was ready to go all out. He drew back his other fist. "Take this, butt-ler!" Luffy expected Kuro wouldn't be able to dodge the second attack, given the awkward angle he'd bent back at. But instead of dodging, Kuro disappeared completely. Luffy frowned, his arms returning to normal. "He disappeared!"

But Abel saw when he reappeared. "Behind!" she warned.

Luffy dived forward into a handstand, legs splitting to narrowly avoid being sliced in half. Luffy grinned now that he could see Kuro. He pressed his feet together. "Gum-Gum Spear!" Luffy's legs stretched out, spearing into thin air as Kuro used his Stealth Walk again. "Hey..." Luffy whined, still in a handstand. "He disappeared again!" He quickly righted himself. "Oh well! Zoro got up the slope!"

Abel cautiously approached Luffy at the top of the hill, waiting for Kuro to reappear. Luffy looked at her questioningly when she stood in front of him. "This is your fight, Boss," she said quietly. "But he has speed on his side." Abel idly fingered her bow. "Tell me where you want him and I'll put him there. I'll trust you to handle the rest." Luffy nodded solemnly, hoping he wouldn't need Abel's help but glad to have it nonetheless. Satisfied, Abel positioned herself on the far edge of the cliff where she could see everything.

Kuro reappeared not far from Luffy, but he didn't attack right away. Instead, he seemed to have something on his mind. "Before we fight seriously, I have one question... Why are you, an outsider, sticking your neck out for this village?"

The answer came easily for Luffy. "'Cause there's someone in this village I don't want you to kill."

"Ah, how simple," Kuro said, amused at Luffy's simplicity. "Is it enough to die for?"

Luffy clenched his fist. "It's good enough for me! But I'm not gonna get killed!"

For a long moment, neither captain moved as they stared each other down. The only sound was that of the wind blowing eerily through the trees. Abel watched intently, an arrow already in position should the need arise. She trusted Luffy's strength, but she didn't Kuro no farther than she could throw him. If she had to intervene, she would, and Luffy could get mad if he wanted so long as he was still alive to do it.

Everything happened at once. Kuro rushed at Luffy, claws stretched out to the side. "Die," he threatened.

"Not today." Luffy stretched both his arms out, grabbing Kuro's wrists. Picking his feet up, he allowed his body to stretch towards his hands. He clearly meant to kick Kuro with both feet. But before he could, Kuro twisted his arms, throwing off Luffy's momentum. He twisted sideways and smacked into the ground.

Luffy let go of Kuro, skidding a few feet away. But he jumped back to his feet quickly. "Gum-Gum Whip!" Luffy's leg whipped out in an arc, but Kuro easily jumped over it. Kuro landed lightly on the ground as Luffy's leg came back. "And..." Luffy pulled his fist back. "Pistol!" Right before Luffy's fist met Kuro's face, the man used his Stealth Walk again, disappearing like a puff of smoke. Luffy gasped when Kuro reappeared... on his arm.

Kuro looked completely nonplussed, standing on Luffy's arm like it was a rope or something. "You bore me, boy..." he drawled, crossing his arms loosely. He smirked then. "Stupid child!" Luffy started to recoil his arm, but Kuro was already running down it like a tightrope. Before Luffy could react, Kuro kicked him straight in the face, sending him rolling down the hill.

Abel would've been concerned, had Luffy not already been sitting up. His face looked a bit bruised, and he'd split his lip, but otherwise looked fine. Luffy spit out some blood. Abel subconsciously bit her own scarred lip. She knew from experience that the worst part about a split lip was getting blood in your mouth.

At the beach, the pirates began cheering Kuro on. They really were rather fickle. One moment they were terrified of the man, the next they were cheering for him. They started chanting his name. But Kuro didn't appreciate that. "NEVER CALL ME BY THAT NAME!" he shouted, causing the pirates to jump in fear. A stunned silence fell over the hill, and Kuro sneered contemptuously. "You still don't understand?" he asked, though it sounded like he already knew the answer. "My plan is to utterly do away with Captain Kuro! It tired me... crafting a thousand brilliant plans for slobbering fools with nothing but plunder on their minds! And what did my hard work win me? The entire Navy on my heels. Hunted by Marines and spies and bounty hunters... I grew sick of the relentless harassment."

Abel snorted in contempt. _Poor, misunderstood soul,_ she thought sarcastically. _How could the world be so cruel as to not let you pillage and steal to your heart's content. Cry me some more crocodile tears._

Ignorant of Abel's thoughts, Kuro continued, "So, on that fateful day three years ago, I decided I had to die!"

The pirates must've remembered the day well, because they started shivering. "Oh... that day..."

"Yeah... the incident!"

"Hmph... for once Jango proved himself useful," Kuro sneered. "He hypnotized one of my fool crew into pretending to be 'Captain Kuro' and was executed by the Marines. To the rest of the world, Captain Kuro was dead, just as I planned. I was a free man, allowed to walk the world without having to glance over my shoulder. And now, with the success of tonight's plan, I'm free to pursue my two goals: wealth of peace of mind." He turned to Luffy. "Can you understand, brat? There's no room for error in my three-year plan. And my plans never go off course!" He lunged at Luffy, claws out.

Acting quickly, Luffy reached down and pulled a large, loose chunk of rock out of the ground and held it up in front of him. The claws on one of Kuro's hands embedded into the rock instead of Luffy chest. Kuro smirked, looking moderately impressed. "So stretching isn't your only talent." Luffy was also strong.

Luffy grinned. "Nope! I've been training! To be a pirate!" Luffy spun around, whipping the rock to the side, breaking Kuro's claws cleanly off. Kuro staggered in surprise, and fell to one knee. Spinning around to face him again, Luffy stared down and asked, "You say you were tired? If you don't want a reputation..." Luffy hit Kuro across the face with the boulder. "... you shouldn't be a pirate!" Abel had to agree. If you wanted a "peaceful" life, being a criminal was not the way to achieve it. Luffy dropped the rock and grinned at Kuro. "And if you wanna compare plans, mine's much bigger!" Luffy grinned in satisfaction at the sight of the pirate laying on the ground. "Now you only have five sword-claws!" he taunted.

Of course things would never be that easy for the Straw Hats, and Kuro was already staggering to his feet. He was starting to lose his poise. Strands of hair fell from where they'd been slicked back, and blood dripped from his temple. A dark expression clouded his face. Abel had a feeling things were about to get very nasty, instinctively tightening her grip on her bow.

At the base of the hill, the pirates tried to cheer their ex-captain up. "Cap'n Kuro! You've still got claws on your other hand! Slice 'im up!"

His neighbor elbowed him. "Hey! You're not supposed to call him... _that name_!"

"Aye... People in the village call him Klaw-a-something..." another mused, trying to remember what Kaya'd called him earlier.

"We'll call him Mr. Klaw, then."

"Get him, Mr. Klaw!"

"Shut your gobs!" Kuro snapped, on his feet. Even with only one set of claws left, the man still looked dangerous. "I'll deal with you dogs later. And that goes for Jango, too."

The pirates gasped in horror. "What!? Why us too!?" Why did they need to die if they accomplished their goal?

Some started laughing nervously. "Stop joking, Cap'n Kuro!"

"It's not too late to attack the village, right?" It was still early in the morning. Too early for anyone to be up.

"If Jango makes that girl write her will, your plan will succeed!"

"Don't worry your heads about my plan," Kuro chided. "If none of you live to tell the tale, I can pin all the blame on you." The pirates looked dumbfounded by this. Abel wasn't entirely sure why they were so surprised. The man clearly had nothing for contempt for them. Besides, if he was so eager to bury his past, it wasn't that shocking that he'd be willing to bury them all. Kuro tilted his head slightly, gazing over the pirates like they were ants - which in his mind they probably were. "I never intended to let any of you leave here alive. I can't let anyone live who knows my true identity."

"But that means... you planned to kill us all along!" they finally realized.

Kuro grinned, looking every bit like a devil. "Of course. Even three years ago, when I was still Captain Kuro. It was all part of my plan."

Luffy snorted. "Are you stupid?" he asked, directing it towards the still surprised pirates. "What a dumb bunch of pirates." Even to Luffy it was obvious this guy was no good from the beginning.

"Dumb?" Kuro repeated. "Of course. Pirates are wild dogs, society's castoffs. Without a leader, they're helpless. Their job was to shut up and follow my plan!" Kuro waved his hand at them dismissively. "Pirates should be faithful pawns of their captain. They live or die by my command. They should have followed my plan no matter what sprang up to impede them. They should have died trying to fulfill my plan! That the way of the pirate! Vagabond brats should keep their smart mouths shut!"

Just when Abel thought she couldn't hate this guy any less... _He's totally delusional_, she thought. He was the very thing he claimed to hate. And despite obviously viewing himself as superior to his men, he was totally relying on them to carry out his plans, even after admitting they were hopeless.

Before Abel could voice her thoughts (and probably get herself in trouble) Luffy stated with absolute certainty, "Even if you were a captain with a hundred obedient men, you still couldn't beat Usopp."

Kuro actually looked surprised then. "What?" he scoffed. "Me? Lose to a _pretend_ pirate?"

"You will," Luffy replied carelessly.

Kuro guffawed. "How amusing! But don't get cocky just because you broke my claws. Tell me why I would lose to him!" Using his Stealth Walk, Kuro disappeared again.

Unfazed, Luffy raised his fist and declared, "It's your style!" Kuro must've been so surprised by Luffy's answer that he stopped, reappearing behind Luffy. That moment of hesitation was all Luffy needed. Without even turning around, Luffy backhanded Kuro across the face. "You don't even look like a real pirate!" Kuro flew back, smashing into the cliff wall.

Luffy waited while Kuro slowly sat up. "Now you've insulted me..." Kuro muttered. A strange, very creepy smile cross his face as he brushed his hair back into place with his broken claws. Smiling creepily at Luffy, Kuro said, "If you want to talk about real pirates, let me show you just how terrifying a real pirate can be. I'll show you the ferocity of a pirate who's face a thousand deaths!" Kuro climbed to his feet, Kuro kept his shoulders hunched. He started swaying slowly, side-to-side. Abel couldn't say why, but the stance put her on edge. Something about his gangly movements told her to be wary.

It didn't help that the pirates were screaming in fear by this point. "That stance! It's... It's..."

"He's going to use _that_ attack... He's going to use that against a single opponent?"

"It's the Out-of-the-Bag Attack!"

"Aren't we in danger here!?"

"We'll be slaughtered, too!"

Luffy watched on in confusion as the men continued to freak out. They cried and pleaded with Kuro, saying they'd never tell his secret. Luffy honestly didn't know why they were so afraid. "What is this? What's the big deal? He's just slouching..."

"Be wary, Boss," Abel warned, watching Kuro's next move intently. "These men ought to know better than anyone what he's capable of." If they were afraid, there was good reason to be.

"Out-of-the-Bag!" In flash, Kuro disappeared.

Everyone waited tensely for what would happened next. And for a while, it looked like nothing would. Until one of Kuro's men screamed in pain as unseen swords nearly tore him in two. Several more men were felled by Kuro's speed. At first, Abel thought he planned to kill them all, like he promised. But then slashes started appearing on the walls and ground, all the while him still moving too fast to be seen. That's when it finally struck her. "Abel!" Luffy called up. "What's happening!?"

As horrible as it was, Abel couldn't remove her eyes from the scene before her. She swallowed before answering slowly, "He's... he's moving so fast that he can't see, so he's attacking at random, not caring what he's actually striking." Kuro didn't know nor care what he hit.

It was like something out of a nightmare. Kuro's men cried and pleaded with him. Some tried to run, others tried to curl up into as small a ball as possible. But they were all targets. Their screams blended together into a symphony of pain and terror. It was unlike anything Abel had ever experienced before. She'd seen death and destruction over the years. But something like this... For another human being to be so uncaring about the lives of others... that the only thing that mattered was their own selfish ambitions... It was... monstrous. Abel knew no other word that fit.

Abel was violently pulled from her thoughts when Luffy shouted with all his strength and fury, "DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR OWN CREW!?" Abel could only describe it as anguish in his voice. It didn't matter that these men were his enemy; they deserved to be treated better than this by their own captain. Cuts appeared on Luffy's arms and chest, but he paid no mind, barely flinching. "Show yourself, butler!"

Abel shook her head. She needed to remain calm. Her captain needed her to keep her head in the game. Abel raised her bow and scanned the area. When she'd been learning archery from some of the hunters in her hometown, they taught her to never keep your eyes fixes on a single spot. Always keep your eyes moving when you didn't know where your target was. Anything out of the ordinary would stand out more. Abel doubted she'd be able to see Kuro directly, but maybe she could see where he was about to be. At first, there was nothing. But then she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. Some rocks bounced before sliding down the hill. Abel reacted on instinct. She led her shot for a few feet before releasing it. The arrow must've grazed Kuro's arm, because it deflected slightly. There wasn't anything visible there, so it could only be Kuro.

Luffy noticed as well. He reached out, and felt fabric against his fingers. Luffy gripped the material and jerked his arm around to the front. Kuro smashed into on his back. Luffy grinned. "Gotcha!" he said triumphantly.

Kuro staggered to his feet. "Curse you!" he growled, face becoming positively demonic. "Why won't you just die?" He motioned to the men behind him. "Look at this. It's all your fault. Instead of dying quickly, my poor pawns are suffering." It was true. Almost all of the pirates writhed in pain. It looked like Abel was the only one who hadn't gotten caught up in the attack. Luffy remained silent, but his expression was serious. "You have something to say?" Kuro asked, noticing his expression.

"I do." Luffy held his fists in front of him. With a look of complete confidence, he stated, "I'm never going to become a pirate like you."

Kuro smirked. "Don't worry, little fool. You could never be like me." Kuro slouched again, preparing to attack. "Anyway, I'm about to kill you."

"I won't let you!" Luffy exclaimed and jumped on Kuro. He wrapped his arms around his shoulders, his legs around his waist. Luffy grinned, knowing Kuro couldn't move now. "Now try your fancy footwork!"

Kuro tried to shake Luffy off, but it was no use. "Damn it! Let go of me!"

"Now your three-year plan is a failure!" Luffy said.

"What!?"

Abel heard the pirate mumbling to each other before they started cheering... for Luffy? "Finish him, rubber man!" Abel couldn't really blame them for not supporting Kuro anymore, but their support was really unwelcomed.

Luffy must've felt the same way, because he glared back at them. He head-butted Kuro in the forehead, stunning the man, before stretching his neck out so that his head was right in their faces. "Who said you could root for me!? I'm gonna get you guys, too! Just wait!" he snapped, and Abel tried not to laugh as the men panicked. She had to admit, that was a little freaky. Satisfied now that they were quiet, Luffy's head snapped back. "Gum-Gum..."

Kuro kept trying to move, but it was useless. "My plan... my plan cannot fail!" Like yelling was really going to stop what was about to happen.

"Bell!" Luffy's head smashed into Kuro's so hard that Abel swore she could hear it ringing from here. Kuro's eyes rolled up in his head, and both men fell to the ground. Kuro slumped onto his back, but Luffy caught himself with his hands. This time, it didn't look like Kuro would be getting up any time soon. His body was completely limp.

A stunned silence fell over the pirates. They didn't look like they were sure if they should be relieved or upset about Luffy's victory. "He did it! He beat Cap'n Kuro!"

"Kuro of the Thousand Plans, the man who outfoxed the Navy! He really did it!"

"He trounced Kuro! Who are you!?"

Luffy turned slowly. Perhaps for dramatic effect. "I'm Monkey D. Luffy!" he answered. "You think I'd let a pirate who gave up his name and quit the sea beat me!? A real pirate would die before he'd do either of those things!"

"Lu... Luffy?" the pirates repeated. "That don't ring no bells." Yet this no-name pirate had just defeated someone like Kuro. It should be impossible.

Luffy grinned with his usual boundless confidence. "You'd all better remember that name. 'Cause some day I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"

The pirates gasped. "Is he crazy?"

But Luffy's response to their disbelief was as usual: he ignored them. Instead, he grabbed ahold of Kuro's jacket and flung him down to the pirates like one would the trash. "Take your garbage with you!" he yelled. "And don't ever come back!" They didn't need to be told twice. The pirates scooped up their wounded, including Kuro, and hurried to board the ship. Kuro may have terrified them, but anyone who could beat Kuro was a monster in their eyes.

With the battle over, Abel collapsed her bow and hooked it back on her belt before climbing down the cliff side to the hill. As she approached Luffy, Abel spotted Nami hurrying over to them from the ship totting a large sack, no doubt filled with the Black Cats' loot. Abel merely shook her head, brushing off Nami's money mongering. Abel certainly wasn't going to complain about stealing from pirates.

Abel could see Luffy's body start to sway as she neared. She managed to catch him against her chest as he fell forward. "Another notch under your belt, eh, Boss?" she murmured softly as she wrapped her arms securely around her tired captain. Luffy remained silent as she lowered him to the ground. As Nami neared, Abel removed her coat and folded it into a makeshift pillow for Luffy to lay on. His wounds were catching up to him.

"So it's over, huh?" Nami asked when she neared them.

A glance at Luffy revealed he still seemed to be in a sober mood, so Abel replied, "Assuming Zoro and Usopp were successful in stopping the hypnotist." She glanced over her shoulder. "Given that we haven't heard any sounds of battle recently, nor has the hypnotist returned to report his success, I think it's safe to assume they have."

Nami sat down beside Luffy, resting her bag of loot on her knees. Abel followed suit, sitting on Luffy's other side. The boy had been remarkably quiet. He just kept staring at the sky. It was pretty clear that Kuro's behavior had upset him. Understandable, considering how much value Luffy seemed to place on his crew. Abel wondered which point of view was most common among pirates. It seemed logical to her that, for a pirate crew to truly be successful, there needed to be mutual trust and respect. But maybe she was just naive about such things.

In an effort to draw Luffy out of his pouting mood, Nami said cheerfully, "You did good. But what made you so mad?"

"I hate them," Luffy answered simply, frowning slightly. "They're no good."

Nami stared at Luffy for a minute before replying, "What are you saying? That's the way pirates always are." She held Luffy's hat out to him.

"But we're pirates and we don't behave that way," Abel argued. "So by our mere existence you can't say that _all_ pirates are like that. Right, Boss?"

"I want some meat."

"See?" Abel just smiled as Nami sighed at them.

The trio watched as the Black Cat crew repaired their ship (Abel didn't know what they used to fix the stem post) and sailed away as quickly as the morning tide could take them. It felt good to have kept the village safe. Eventually, Zoro and Usopp joined them, happily reporting that Jango'd been dealt with, and Kaya and the kids were all safe. Usopp beamed at them. "Thanks!" he said with utmost sincerity. "I owe you guys. Without you, I couldn't have saved the village."

"What are you talking about?" Zoro asked dismissively. "It was all you. You made me. Usopp was the real hero here.

"Me too," Luffy agreed.

Nami just nuzzled her treasure. "Who cares about the village. We got the treasure."

Chuckling at the odd group, Usopp gazed out at the sea for a moment before announcing, "Having survived all this, I've made a decision."

"What?" Luffy asked, finally sitting up. But rather than answer, Usopp just laughed and walked away.

* * *

With peace restored to the tiny island, the crew decided to get cleaned up and treat their injuries. They were mostly superficial, only requiring a bit of water, antiseptic and bandages. Even Zoro and Abel's wounds required minimal care. This seemed to surprise Nami, who thought Abel had been nearly gutted. "How aren't you hurt more?" she asked, almost sounding accusatory.

Abel merely smiled. "You clearly lack knowledge of how proper corsets are made." Abel pulled one of the claws out of her bodice and pushed some of the satin aside so they could see the inner structure of the corset. "All corsets have boning, which is made of a combination of folded and spiral steel to keep its shape. Fortunately for me, Sham's claws got caught on the boning and broke, so my injuries weren't as bad as they should have been."

"Cool!" Luffy said, poking at Abel's stomach. He was surprised at how rigid the fabric felt. "It's like armor."

Abel chuckled. "It's intended more to flatter a woman's figure, but I suppose that isn't inaccurate."

When everyone had had their wounds tended to and changed their damaged clothes, they agreed to have one final meal in town before setting off. The village was safe and there was nothing left to be gained. As they enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in secret celebration, Abel observed that the town seemed completely unaware of the events that unfolded just a few hours ago. But that was how Usopp had wanted it. He wanted his people to continue their blissful lives.

Abel was pulled from her musings when she noticed Luffy had his hand in his mouth. "Problem, Boss?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Luffy mumbled around his hand before pulling out a piece of fish ribs. He sighed. "I got it out!"

"You really need to work on your fish bone eating technique," Zoro chided. Both he and Luffy had replaced their damaged shirts with exact replicas.

"I've got news for you two: normal people don't eat this part," Nami commented. Unlike the boys, the shirt she now wore was slightly different than before. It was a pink t-shirt with white trim around the neckline, hem and sleeves, with an oval across her chest that had "Wb" inside.

As for Abel, she'd likewise had to replace her top. She wore purplish-gray blouse with sleeves that covered her hands down to her fingers, over which she wore a black underbust corset that laced up in the back and sides, and had four steel hooks in the front. And of course her scarf hung loosely around her shoulders. Seeing that everyone had finished eating, Abel asked, "Shall we be leaving?"

"I guess," Luffy said.

But before they could even pay their bill, a soft, familiar voice called to them. "I found you!"

Everyone looked over in surprise to see Kaya approaching them. "Hi, Miss Kaya!" Luffy greeted happily.

Abel studied the girl as she walked over to their table. "You seem to be in good spirits, all things considered." Indeed, the girl actually seemed much better than when they first met her. It didn't look like her health was bothering her. Maybe the excitement had done her some good.

Kaya nodded. "Yes. My illness for the past year was caused by the shock and sadness of losing both my parents. Usopp brought my spirits up... but I can't depend on others forever. Anyway, you three needed a ship. Isn't that right?"

Luffy practically jumped on the girl in his enthusiasm. "Are you gonna give us a ship!?"

Kaya just smiled secretively. "Follow me."

Kaya led them down to the shore where they'd left their boats. And sure enough, there was a boat waiting for them. It was a caravel-class ship. Small and built for speed, but big enough for the tight-knit crew Luffy seemed to want to build up. It had a single mast with a triangular lateen sail in the back. From the shore, it looked like it had two main cabins, with an upper deck at the bow and stern. There were cannons at the front and sides. And it had a ram's head for the figurehead.

Everyone made sounds of excitement at the sight of their own, proper ship. _Aww... it's so cute_, Abel thought. _Perhaps not the best impression for a pirate ship, but I'm not going to look a gift... sheep in the mouth._

Kaya's servant began to present the ship to them. Based on the fact that his hair looked like a ram's head, he must've designed the ship himself "Behold! She's not the newest model, but I designed her myself. She's a caravel, with a job and a central stern rudder. I present to you... the Going Merry!"

"You're really going to give us this ship?!" Luffy asked, afraid this might be a dream. His first real ship!

"Yes. Please take it."

The servant approached their captain and began to explain, "I'll explain the rigging. First, regarding the adjustment of the yard with the clew garnet-"

Seeing the completely clueless expression on Luffy's face (not that she understood most of what the man was talking about either), Abel interrupted, "Perhaps you'd be best served explaining the details to our navigator." She directed the servant to Nami. Luffy probably shouldn't be in charge of steering the ship.

Luffy stared up at the Going Merry with pure captain's pride. "What a great ship!"

"I've stocked it with everything you might need at sea," Kaya informed them.

"Thank you!" Luffy said again, growing more excited each time. "You're sure adding insult to injury, Miss Kaya!"

Zoro snorted. "Try 'adding icing to the cake,' moron."

A sudden scream halted any further celebration. Everyone gaped up the hill as some kind of giant ball came rolling down the slope. "Somebody stop me!" It looked like there was someone stuck to the ball.

Kaya gasped when she realized what that someone was. "Usopp!" It looked like he'd been trying to carry a giant backpack and lost control of it.

"What's he up to now?" Luffy asked.

"We should stop him. He might damage our ship," Zoro replied.

And stop him they did... but putting their feet in his face. "Th... thanks..." Usopp muttered under their feet.

"You're welcome."

After everything settled down, Usopp explained what he was doing. "So, Usopp, you really are going off to sea..." Kaya asked, sounding a little sad but not surprised.

Usopp nodded, standing in front of a small boat that didn't look big enough to even hold his huge backpack. "I am. I have to act before my resolve weakens. Don't try to stop me."

Kaya smiled with resignation. "I won't. I had a feeling this would happen."

Usopp grinned brightly. "When I come back, I'll have even taller tales to tell you, only they'll be true!"

Kaya returned the gesture. "Good. I'll look forward to it."

Turning from Kaya, Usopp called up to the others on their new ship, "You guys take care. See you around."

"Why?" Luffy asked.

Usopp looked a bit offended then. "Huh? Why? That's not very friendly. Since we're all pirates, we might cross paths someday-"

"Stop babbling and get on board," Zoro interrupted impatiently.

Seeing Usopp's confused, but slightly hopeful, expression, Abel asked, "We've spilt blood together, how much more of an invitation do you need? A fancy, gilded document in a sealed envelope?"

Usopp gaped at them like he was afraid to believe it. His body trembled. After enough time passed for them to say they were joking, Usopp let out a whoop, jumping in the air. "Yeah! Can I be the captain!?"

"No way! I'm the captain!" And thus they added another soul to their crew.

* * *

**I think I'm gonna take a break from writing for a few days before I start up the short Gaimon's Island episode. Hopefully that won't be as long.**


	9. Interlude: Fools & Drunks

**I know I said the next chapter would be Gaimon's island, but as I was writing a transition between that & the last chapter, I kept getting ideas for some short scenes fleshing out the growing relationships between the crew. So I decided to do this short interlude, because adding color to the characters is fun & good for the narrative.**

**I also wanted to thank people for their support & suggestions. I take a lot of them to heart & keep them in mind when I'm writing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: None**

* * *

The Straw Hat crew, now starting to feel like more like a proper pirate crew, threw themselves a small party to celebrate both their new crewmate and their ship. Luffy declared it a "Welcome Usopp and Going Merry" party. For the majority of the crew, this involved copious amounts of drinking and merry-making. Abel, of course, refused to drink any grog, despite the insistence by the others that she should "live a little." She just brushed them off and instead settled for watching the others make complete fools of themselves. Not that she begrudged them that. Abel was never one to stand in the midst of a party, but she did enjoy being a part of the sideline. She thrived on the spill-over energy. She also found her younger crewmates quite entertaining. Abel didn't hold in her laughter as Luffy and Usopp started singing random pirate songs, which she was fairly certain they were making up on the spot, or watching Nami and Zoro try to out-drink each other. Surprisingly, Nami's tolerance seemed every bit as high as Zoro's.

Leaving the others to their celebrating, Abel decided to explore the ship. Even though she was no ship expert, she was impressed. Despite being smaller than your average pirate ship, it seemed large enough to accommodate the intimate crew that Luffy seemed to be building. From the main deck, there was a foredeck that house the anchor and the main cannon, then the storage room, which connected to a small but serviceable bathroom. Above the storage deck was the galley/helm room, which was on the aft deck. At the base of the ship were the crew quarters. The men and women had separate rooms, with the men's accessible via a trapdoor by the mast and the women's from the storage room. There was a small door linking the quarters together, but Nami was very insistent that it remained locked at all times and could only be unlocked from the women's side.

After exploring the ship, Abel felt the need to take stock of their supplies. As much as she enjoyed some R&R, Abel didn't enjoy being idle for very long. She was used to being productive. Luck favored the prepared, after all. And she wasn't sure if it was because she was the oldest person on the ship or her observation of some of her mates' lack of foresight, but Abel had a feeling that if she didn't do it, no one would.

Thus how she found herself writing out lists of their munitions, food and supplies. Abel posted these lists in the rooms in question, hoping this would make it easier to know when they needed to restock. She'd noticed Nami or Zoro stick their head in the door every now and then to see what she was doing, but they hadn't interrupted her.

By the time she was satisfied, it was almost lunch. And seeing as how she doubted any of the others knew how to cook (except for maybe Nami), Abel took it upon herself to fix something for the crew. Their first meal on their ship. Abel wouldn't go so far as to call herself a chef, or even a cook, but she did know how to make something edible. She settled for something simple: chicken and sautéed vegetables. As she pulled some sugar snap beans, bell pepper and zucchini out of the fridge, Abel realized that the galley was pretty well optimized for a chef who knew what they were doing. The actual kitchen part was in the front corner, with a stove, and oven and plenty of counter space nestled in a brick nook. The table sat between the kitchen and the fridge, making it ideal for chatting while someone cooked. Abel suspected this would become the go-to meeting place for the crew. After all, the kitchen was the heart of many homes. The only out of place thing was the whipstaff, which they used to steer the ship. Instead of having a wheel like conventional ships, the Going Merry had a whipstaff, a pillar of wood that could be moved side-to-side, rotating the rudder. It did strike Abel as a bit impractical to have it inside the galley, as it would be hard to see from just the galley door, but at least the helmsman would be protected.

It didn't take long before the scent of food had Luffy descending upon Abel like a giant locust. "Oooh! I didn't know you could cook, Abel!" Luffy said in awe as he draped himself over Abel's shoulders.

"It's food," she replied dismissively. It's not like she made anything fancy. Just threw some vegetables in a pan and coated some chicken in a lemon-salt-pepper rub.

"You've been really busy, haven't you?" Nami asked as she read over Abel's list of kitchen supplies.

Abel just hummed in response before asking, "Can one of you bring the plates over?" Usopp complied, and Abel plated the food.

The crew enjoyed their meal, chatting happily about random things and plans for the future. Occasionally someone would have to stab Luffy in the hand as he tried to steal their food, but it was peaceful for the most part. All that partying must've worn them out. Abel had to agree; it was much nicer to have a ship big enough to move around in.

"I've been thinking," Nami began after they'd finished eating. At everyone's attention, she continued, "Now that we have a real ship, we should think about having a night watch."

"That's not a bad idea," Zoro agreed, leaning one elbow casually against the table. "Now that we're out of those dinghies, someone might take notice and attack us in our sleep."

"How do we decide who's first?" Usopp asked, fiddling with his glass.

"Why don't we draw lots?" Abel suggested.

Luffy titled his head. "You mean like straws?"

"Yes. We can cut straws in different lengths, then decide the order based on the lengths. From shortest to longest. It's the only completely fair method."

"Sounds good to me," Nami agreed, already fishing out some strips of paper and cutting them to different lengths. She shuffled them up blindly, tucked the ends into her palm and held them out to the crew so that they looked all even. "Who wants to go first?"

Luffy was already on his feet. "Well since I'm the captain, I should go first," he stated, and no one cared to argue. He drew a slip that looked medium length.

After everyone took a straw, the order was decided. Abel, Zoro, Usopp, Luffy and Nami. While Abel wrote the rotation up, Usopp grumbled about Nami rigging the drawing. Which she may very well have done. She was a thief, so sleight of hand wasn't out of the question. But it didn't really matter. Everyone would take their turn eventually.

* * *

"Most impressive," Abel said appreciatively, peering down at the intricate gears and pipes.

"So just pedaling works the pumps?" Usopp asked, giving the pedals a test spin.

Currently Usopp and Abel were crammed in one of the storage compartments under the stairs leading up to the aft deck, examining the pumping system that drew water from the sea up into the ship. On the surface, it looked deceptively simple. There were two pumping stations, one on other side of the stairs. All that was required was to have someone sit on the seat and ride it like a bike. Pointing to the blueprint of the ship lay out on the deck between them, Abel explained, "It looks like working the pedals creates a vacuum, and this difference in pressure pulls the water up into the pipes."

"Like a syphon," Usopp concluded. He pointed to another part on the blueprints. "Then the salt gets filtered out before the water goes into this storage tank. And the water goes from there to either the kitchen or bathroom."

Abel nodded. "The pumping process also generates electricity for the ship. You can see the turbine and generator here..." She pointed at a portion of the ship near the very back. "The flowing water must turn the turbine, which stores electricity in the generator."

Usopp let out an appreciative whistle. "Kaya really did give us a great ship." Abel noticed how prideful he looked then, glad that his friend had helped them so much.

"What are you two going on about?" Zoro asked. He'd listened to the two rambling on excitedly for a while now, not really understanding what they were talking about or why it was so exciting. They might as well have been speaking a different language.

Abel and Usopp's head jerked up, just now noticing Zoro peering at them from the top of the stairs. They'd been so caught up in their wonderment at the mechanical workings of the ship that they hadn't noticed him. Usopp opened his mouth to explain, but Abel beat him to it. She smiled disarmingly as she said, "Don't worry your pretty head about it." Abel had a feeling that, even if Zoro could understand the technicals of the ship's construction, he wouldn't care to listen.

Both Usopp and Zoro stared at Abel weirdly. Usopp looked shocked that Abel would say something like that to someone as scary as Zoro. Zoro, on the other hand, looked unsure whether to be angry or embarrassed by Abel's choice of words. He honestly never knew how to take half the things she said. And he had the distinct impression that was her intentions. Rather than wasting energy fretting about it, however, Zoro just wandered off.

When Zoro disappeared, Abel smiled sincerely at Usopp and admitted, "It is nice to have someone to talk shop to, though."

Usopp blinked in surprise before allowing a small smile. "Yeah," he agreed. It was nice to be able to talk to someone without them looking at you like you were strange.

* * *

"Luffy! Be careful!"

Abel peered around the corner of the galley at Nami's voice. It didn't take her long to see what her concern was. Against all logic, Luffy seemed to have taken a liking to sitting atop the ram's head. This would've been foolhardy for a regular person, given how quickly the sea can change temperament. But for someone who'd eaten a Devil Fruit and thus couldn't swim, it was downright suicidal. But Abel had noticed that self-preservation wasn't high on Luffy's priorities.

"Don't worry, Nami," Luffy reassured from where he sat cross-legged between the ram's horns. "I'm fine."

As if jinxing himself, a sudden choppy wave bumped the ship, causing Luffy to teeter sideways. People say things move in slow motion when you get scared, and there was some truth to that. Abel felt her heart plummet as she watched. Luffy's eyes widened as he started to fall off the figurehead. He didn't have time to stretch his arm up before he hit the water.

"Luffy!" Nami shrieked.

Before Abel could react, a blur of white and green streaked past her, followed by a splash. Abel ran to the cannon deck and grabbed a lifesaver and some rope. As she ran out onto the deck, she tied the rope securely around the lifesaver. She ran to the bulwark and peered down into the sea. At first she didn't see anything. Abel felt each beat of her heart as she waited tensely for Zoro to resurface with their captain. Even if Devil Fruit users sunk like rocks, surely enough time hadn't passed for him to sink that far.

It seemed like forever before she heard a deep voice call out, "Over here!"

Abel ran to the other side of the ship. She felt immensely relieved when she saw Zoro floating in the water with Luffy's limp form draped over his shoulder. Abel tossed the lifesaver down, holding on to the rope. Zoro caught it and slipped it over Luffy's head. With Luffy securely harnessed, he grabbed tightly to the rope. At his signal, Abel and Usopp pulled the two men up, back to the safety of the deck. They were almost too heavy for them. Zoro was nothing but muscle mass, and still weak from the water Luffy was nothing but dead weight.

Zoro slumped to the deck while Luffy sprawled out on his back, trying to catch his breath. Luffy let out a long sigh. "Thanks, Zoro! That was scary!" he said, perhaps a bit too nonchalantly.

"You idiot!" Nami snapped, punching Luffy in the head while he was still recovering his strength. "What did I tell you about being careful!?"

Leaving Nami to rightfully scold Luffy, Abel headed for the bathroom. She grabbed two large towels and carried them back onto the deck. She dropped one over Luffy like a blanket while she draped the other over Zoro's shoulders. The man grunted out a thanks, running the towel over his hair.

"Perhaps in the future, you could find a less precarious place to rest," Abel told Luffy. "If for no other reason than the sanity of your crew."

Luffy rubbed the back of his head sheepishly (or was it to nurse the bumps Nami'd given him?). "Sorry. Sorry."

* * *

It took a bit of time for the crew to get settled in to their new home. This primarily involved putting stuff away, which was what Nami and Abel were currently doing. Based on the noise coming from the men's quarters, it sounded more like the guys were having wrestling match. Abel eyed the adjoining wall in amusement while Nami looked exasperated. Choosing to ignore the boys' antics (they could tear up their own room however they wanted), the girls went back to getting the room the way they wanted. The women's quarters were very nice, having clearly been designed for Kaya herself. There was a nice desk, bookshelf and wardrobe along the wall with the stairs, a comfy sofa that could fold out into a bed along the back wall, a coffee table, a treasure chest (which Nami'd already called dibs on) and even a ceiling fan. The niftiest part, at least in Abel's opinion, was that the hammocks were actually stored in the ceiling. There were two compartments that they could pull down, keeping the room from feeling cluttered when they weren't sleeping.

As she folded her clothes neatly into the wardrobe's bottom drawers, Abel noticed Nami staring at her. "You have something on your mind?" Abel asked after a long, awkward silence.

Nami jumped, looking surprised that she'd been caught. "I was just noticing that you own a lot of corsets," Nami stated. Abel merely hummed in response, seeing no reason to elaborate on the obvious. "You just didn't strike me as the sort to care about fashion."

"To me, it's a combination of form and function," Abel answered, straightening up and facing Nami. "As an archer, I need my arms to be unobstructed. Yet I find brassieres too constricting." Abel stretched her arms above her head to illustrate her point. "They all either ride up or dig into my flesh. But I'm equally uncomfortable going commando, as the saying goes. I still need to be... contained. I discovered that corsets fill both qualifications. They support me without hampering my movements."

Nami looked puzzled then. "But aren't corsets even more constricting?"

"They can be, if you wear them tight enough. That's why women used to come down with 'the vapors,' as they called it." Abel snorted, crossing her arms. "People used to argue it was a sign of women's natural weakness, but in actuality it was just that their corsets were so tight they couldn't breathe. I, however, don't participate in that sort of waist training." To emphasize the point, she slid her fingers under her underbust, showing that there was room to easily slide her fingers in. "Mine are made primarily with spiral steel boning, which is more flexible. I've actually found that they improve my performance." Abel bent at the waist, touching the floor without the slightest wince of discomfort from her corset. She furthered the stretch by wrapping her arms around her calves, bending almost completely in half. As she straightened, Abel added, "But I won't deny a small part of me wears them for... empowerment purposes."

"Empowerment?" Nami parroted, finding herself intrigued by the other's twisting logic.

Abel gave a small, almost bashful smile. "They make me feel powerful. Not just in fighting, but as a woman in general. It's a matter of... how you want to project yourself. I feel good wearing them, and that in turn affects my mood and my confidence. How I carry myself. It's like when someone has a favorite pair of underwear. Even if no one else knows you're wearing it, you know you are and it makes you feel good. To me, corsets are the same." Abel nearly always wore corsets, even if it was a less fashionable one under her clothes. The only times she didn't, aside from the obvious (like sleeping) was in the case of an underbust like she was wearing now. Then she wore just a strapless bra.

Nami stared at Abel for a long time with an unreadable look. Finally, she drawled, "You're probably the only person I've ever met who could get philosophical about a corset." Abel was a strange woman. Not bad-strange, but strange nonetheless.

Abel gave Nami a toothy grin, clearly amused. "Says the discerning thief." Where was the fun in being _normal_, anyway?

* * *

After supper (again provided by Abel), Nami talked Usopp and Luffy into playing cards with her out on the deck. Abel and Zoro opted to sit out, neither trusting Nami to play fair. Instead, they watched from the sidelines, Abel seated on one of the steps and Zoro leaning against the bulwark, swords resting against his shoulder. They were playing Rummy. Abel tried not to laugh as it was obvious Luffy had no idea how to play the game. Instead of working to get rid of his cards, it seemed that Luffy was trying to get as many cards as possible. By the time Nami discarded her last cards, Luffy looked like he was trying to make a fan out of the cards. He had to use both hands to hold them all.

"Yes!" Nami exclaimed triumphantly, pumping a fist in the air. "I win!"

Usopp grumbled under his breath, before gaping at Luffy. "Why do you have so many cards, Luffy?"

"I don't know," Luffy replied honestly, peering over his fan of cards. "More just seemed better."

Usopp sputtered. "This is Rummy, Luffy! The person who has the least number of cards wins!"

Luffy pouted. Abel thought he looked even younger than he was when he did that. "Well I'm the captain, and I say whoever has the most cards wins!"

"You can't just change the rules, Luffy!" Usopp protested.

"Why not?" Zoro asked, egging them on. "He is the captain." This got another round of arguments going from the trio play cards. Nami and Usopp insisted that you couldn't just change the rules of an established game, while Luffy retorted back that he'd just make up his own card game, then.

Abel cast a sidelong glance at the swordsman. "You're just being an instigator," she accused.

"So?" Zoro retorted, not bothering to deny it.

Abel shook her head, but there was a clear smile on her face. "You, sir, are nothing but trouble." Again, Zoro didn't bother denying it. He just grinned wolfishly at her.

* * *

Abel leaned heavily against the bulwark, staring out at the sea blankly, her mind a thousand miles away. Her first night on watch had, so far, proven uneventful. Not a single ship in sight. Only the moon to keep her company. The stillness that covered the deck at night felt a bit out of place in comparison to the liveliness during the day. Had it not been for the occasional snore wafting up through the deck, Abel could believe she was alone.

"Pondering the universe again?"

Abel turned at the voice, slightly surprised to see Zoro climbing from the trapdoor. Had she really been so out of it that she didn't hear him? Zoro wasn't exactly stealthy.

Remembering that Zoro'd asked her a question, Abel answered, "After a fashion."

"What is it this time?" he prodded, coming to stand beside her. He gave her his undivided attention, despite the fact that he looked half asleep. Abel tried not to laugh at his ruffled hair and wrinkled shirt.

"I was just thinking about Luffy's battle against Kuro," Abel admitted. She resumed her position against the bulwark, crossing her arms across the top. Abel peered down into the dark water. "I don't think I have ever had the displeasure of meeting someone like Kuro before. The way he viewed his own men as just pawns to throw away as his fancy demanded..."

"He was rotten down to his soul," Zoro agreed. "Unfortunately, there are probably a lot more people like him out there." Zoro'd met all sorts of people during his travels, and not all of them were good. In fact, they'd probably be coming across a lot of bad people now that they were on a pirate ship. Luffy was the first person Zoro'd ever met to make him reconsider his view of pirates. And while there may be more people like Luffy out there, who turned to the pirate life for freedom and fun, there was no denying that most did it to commit crimes.

Abel considered Zoro's words. It brought a saying to mind. "Fear not those things which can destroy your body; but fear the things that can destroy your very soul." Zoro looked at her strangely. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. Was she really that odd? Abel smiled slightly. "Apologies. I'm waxing philosophical again." Abel let out a long breath, turning her gaze from the water to the sky. Then, in a voice so soft Zoro almost missed it, she admitted, "I never gave any thought to people being monsters before..."

Zoro considered Abel for a long moment. It was easy to forget that, despite being a competent fighter, Abel'd rarely ventured far from home in the past. Not to say that she struck him as naive or anything. She seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, quirks aside. Zoro suddenly had the distinct impression that Abel probably didn't have much experience dealing with people outside of her home. Between her diligence in studying her monster-hunter heritage and her odd mannerisms, Abel probably struck most people as strange. It was one of the first things Zoro'd noticed about her. And despite seeming to like people just fine, there was always this air of distance about her. Whether she realized it or not.

He probably shouldn't think too much into it. It would only give him a headache. Zoro trusted his gut when it came to people, and he knew Abel was the sort of person who adapted well to changes. "Don't worry too much about them," Zoro advised. Abel blinked, apparently not having expected a response. "Don't worry about what others are doing. Just worry about doing what you believe to be right. 'Cause you can't change how others will act. Only how you'll react."

Abel raised an eyebrow at Zoro's insightful response. It was... moderately unexpected. Of course, it did sound like something Zoro would say. Simple, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. And he was probably right. Abel smiled teasingly and said, "Keep this up and I'll have to start calling you Sensei."

Zoro gave her a dry look before shoving her shoulder. "Go to bed," he said. With a final, mocking salute, Abel complied.

Abel was careful to be quiet as she descended the stairs. Nami was already sound asleep, and she didn't feel like invoking the girl's wrath so late. Abel swiftly changed into more comfortable sleeping clothes, consisting of an old t-shirt and yoga pants, and climbed into her hammock. The hammock swayed slightly as Abel shifted around, getting comfortable. But once she was still, it didn't take long before she was drifting off to sleep. She'd been up all last night, after all. Abel relaxed into the darkness, feeling a deeper peace than she had in a long time. This crazy crew was really starting to feel like home.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter really will cover Gaimon's.**


	10. Island of Rare Creatures

**Thanks for all of the reviews. They really make my day.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: Mild language**

* * *

"What exactly are you trying to accomplish, Boss?"

Abel'd been watching Luffy struggling with the flag atop the crow's next for a good fifteen minutes. She'd been keeping watch in the crow's nest while the rest of the crew did whatever they were doing down below, when Luffy randomly appeared and, with only a grin to acknowledge Abel's presence, started tugging at the flag. It looked like he was trying to remove it, but Abel wasn't sure why. Not that it mattered at the moment, since he seemed to be getting more and more wrapped up in it the more he struggled.

Fighting to untangle himself from the _complicated_ flag, Luffy replied, "I found some paint in storage, so I thought I'd work on making our pirate flag. The Going Merry's a cool ship, but she won't look like a real pirate ship without a cool flag."

"That's... a more reasonable answer than I was expecting," Abel admitted. She was almost shocked that Luffy'd thought of something logical. Every pirate ship needed a Jolly Roger.

Luffy grinned brightly at the woman. "I already have an awesome design thought up. I've been thinking about it for years." Abel couldn't help but smile at Luffy's contagious enthusiasm. With one last flail, Luffy got himself free from the flag. He let out a laugh of success. Unfortunately, his celebration was a bit premature, as he was now hanging in midair, only holding on to the flag. At least when he fell to the deck, he took the flag with him. Abel just chuckled as Luffy quickly recovered and scampered off with the flag to a pile of paint buckets. The others on deck didn't pay him much attention. Nami sat in a lounge chair, reading over some charts. Zoro was asleep against the mast. And Usopp was looking out at the sea from the bow.

As there was nothing to see but empty ocean, Abel decided to join the rest of her crew on the deck, so she started climbing down the ladder. But she had a bit of trouble when she neared the bottom. Zoro was blocking her. He was sitting where the rest of the rungs were. Abel hovered there for a moment, deciding what to do. Of course she could easily jump off from where she was, but that was a very inconsiderate place to nap.

"You pathetic little maggots." Abel looked up then, wondering who Usopp was calling a maggot. In a flourish, he spun around, swinging what looked like a broom stick like it was a sword. "You would knowingly attack the invincible fleet of pirates commanded by Captain Usopp of the Going Merry!?" He ran and jumped over the bannister, landing on the main deck. "Attack them!" he yelled, pointing his "sword" at an unseen enemy. "Show no mercy!" Usopp blinked, gaping around the deck when he realized that no one was paying him any attention. Well, no one except Abel, who was watching him with that little smile of amusement she usually gave them.

Abel did find it rather precious that Usopp was still in pretend pirate mode. Then again, it was a rather slow day. She couldn't blame him for wanting to spice things up a bit. _Speaking of which_... Abel looked back down at Zoro. She let go of the rungs, landing on the deck with a heavy thump right over Zoro's lap, a leg on each side.

The sudden noise startled Zoro, and he shot up, hands already flying to his swords. But instead, he hit his forehead against Abel's stomach and fell backwards, hitting the back of his head against the mast. Growling at the unexpected pain, Zoro rubbed his head and stared rather crossly at the woman hovering over him with her hands on her hips, an all too proud of herself expression on her face. "What the hell, Abel?"

"Shouldn't that be my line?" Abel retorted. "You can't expect me to believe that you didn't know you were sleeping against the ladder." Bending at the waist, she leaned down slightly, staring Zoro in the eyes. "One would think you were deliberately trying to antagonize me."

Zoro snorted. Imitating Abel's manner of speech, Zoro replied, "One would think it's a bit egotistical to assume everyone's actions are somehow related to them." In truth, he hadn't deliberately napped there because of Abel. He'd just noticed her in the crow's nest, and then decided that seemed like a good place to sleep. It was entirely coincidental.

Abel tilted her head. "Oh really?" she drawled, not believing him for a second.

But before the two could continue their conversation, Luffy suddenly shouted, "I finished!" This got everyone's attention. Abel straightened and twisted around to see what Luffy was shouting about. Said boy spun around, holding up the flag he'd been working on. "Look! Our pirate mark! Now that Usopp's joined, we've got four people. That's almost a whole crew. I think it's about time we got our own flag!"

The crew gathered around the... abomination Luffy was calling their flag. He'd painted most of it black, of course. And it was obviously a skull-and-crossbones, with a straw hat on its head. But... it looked like the doodling of a two-year old. Everything was crooked. Even the skull bowed in at the middle. "Uh..." Zoro looked at the flag in horror. "Luffy, is that really gonna be our mark?" he asked, hoping Luffy wasn't being serious. They'd be laughed out of the ocean with a mark like that.

But based on the grin on Luffy's face, he was serious. "What d'ya think? Nice, huh?"

"Our mark should be scary," Zoro pointed out. "It should strike fear into our enemy's heart."

"If our enemies were terrified infants, then this would be perfect," Nami stated.

Abel tilted her head slightly, but even that didn't make it any better. "I don't know. I think anyone who beholds it will think the person responsible is dangerously demented." It was terrifying, but not in the usual way.

Everyone looked over as Usopp began tsking them. "You guys really should've told me about this," he chided, like he was talking to children. He smiled proudly, and Abel prepared herself for a little Adventure A La Usopp. "Maybe you didn't know this about me, but I am an artist." You could of course forgive the unbelieving expression the others had.

Except for Luffy, of course, who always seemed to believe everything Usopp said. "Does that mean you can draw?" he asked.

"When it comes to painting, I'm in a league of my own. I've been drawing graffiti for fifty years straight." Usopp held his head high, awaiting the praise and awe.

Abel's eyes twinkled with mischief. Faking surprise, she put her hands to her face and said, "That means I'm not the oldest person on the ship anymore."

Zoro chuckled and played along. "Yeah, Usopp's a real old man."

Nami smirked at the others. "Which would give him five or six grandchildren."

"That is so cool!" Luffy exclaimed, believing every word. Which really made it all the funnier. But it looked like Usopp didn't appreciate being called old, because he quickly put an end to their teasing.

He did, however, set about remaking Luffy's flag. He made short work of it and was soon holding up the finished product for the others to see. "Behold! A priceless work of pirate art!" Unfortunately, the flag looked nothing like what Luffy'd made.

"Looks a lot like you on that flag," Luffy commented. Indeed, the long nose and bandana on the skull looked remarkably like Usopp, as did the slingshot making up part of the crossbones section.

Zoro and Luffy punched Usopp in the head while snapping, "Jerk!"

"Perhaps you should just make a cleaner version of what Luffy originally painted," Abel advised as Usopp nursed the bump on his head.

Thankfully, that's exactly what the man did on the next go-around. He painted a nicer version of Luffy's grinning, straw hat-wearing skull-and-crossbones. "So, how d'ya like this one?" Usopp asked, his prideful tone indicating he already knew the answer.

"Wow, that's actually pretty good, Usopp," Nami admitted. With all of his story-telling, it was hard to know sometimes when Usopp was being serious about his skills in something. But it looked like this time his bragging had some merit.

Luffy nodded. "Yeah, keep it. That's the one."

"So we finally settled on it?" Zoro asked, happy with the mark as well. "This is gonna be our mark?"

"Sure is," Luffy replied. "Hey, Usopp, draw one on the sail too."

While Nami tied the Jolly Roger back on top of the crow's nest, Abel helped Usopp paint the emblem on the main sail. It was a little tricky, because they couldn't take the sail down like they did the flag. Instead, the two had to hang from the rigging, each taking a side to work on. Between the two of them, they finished the painting quickly. Abel had to admit, it looked really good. Now, despite the cute ram's head at the front, it was obvious where the ship's allegiance lay.

The crew gathered around the mast, silently observing the symbol with pride. "Okay! It's all done!" Luffy announced. "Now the Going Merry has everything she could possibly need."

"Ugh!" Usopp sighed dramatically, lying on the deck. "I'm pooped!" Being creative was hard work, especially with such a large canvas.

The distinctive rumbling of thunder drew Abel's eyes upwards. She spotted dark, ominous storm clouds dead ahead. It looked a bit strange, given that they were centered along one small part of the sea. "That doesn't bode well," she mused aloud.

Luffy agreed, and stared at the storm with a tiny bit of apprehension. "Are we going the right way?" he asked. "Seems kind of dangerous." Not that Luffy had a problem with sailing head-first into danger.

"What's that?" Usopp asked, sitting up, energy instantly restored now that danger was involved.

Nami studied her charts intently, reading their position. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed something on the map nearby. "Hold on," she said, and rushed over to stand by Luffy with a pair of binoculars. She peered through them into the storm ahead. They could easily avoid the storm, but if Nami's map was right they might not want to. And sure enough, Nami spotted a small island hidden in the clouds. "That's the place!" she breathed excitedly. She nodded to herself. "Yep. There's no doubt about it."

"Hey, what do you see out there?" Luffy asked eagerly. "Is it something cool?"

The rest of the crew gathered round, waiting for Nami to give the orders to either stay on course or move. Either way, they'd have work to do. Luffy may be the captain, and ultimately had the final say, but as the navigator it was up to Nami to decide where the ship would go. Judging by the smile on Nami's face, Abel assumed they were heading to the island regardless of the storm.

Nami turned to them and declared, "The legendary Treasure Island."

"Sounds promising," Abel mused.

"You mean _the_ Treasure Island?" Usopp asked in disbelief. "Even I've heard of that place."

Nami frowned slightly. "Yeah, I'm not surprised. This place is famous the world over... and so are the crazy stories about it."

"What crazy stories?" Luffy asked, holding on to his hat as the wind picked up.

Nami's smile took a devious turn as she reported, "Legend has it that whoever is dumb enough to sail close to the island incurs a god's wrath." Beside her, Abel heard Zoro scoff.

As if to emphasize Nami's story, lightning flashed overhead, cracking loudly. This must've been the signal for the rain to start, as it began pouring down on the tiny ship. The wind picked up as they neared the heart of the storm, and the island. The waves rocked the ship. Usopp let out a shriek, holding on to the banister as the ship rocked. He stared up at the clouds in terror, as if expecting this god to suddenly show up. "Now we know all those stories are true, guys!" he yelled. "This is a god's wrath!"

Abel brought a hand up to hold on to her scarf as the wind whipped it around. "Legends, treasure and a vengeful god? I can't think of a better way to spend the day." Although her words may have sounded sarcastic, the smile on her face clearly said she had no problem with the plan.

Luffy laughed loudly. "Yeah, I think that sounds pretty cool!"

Usopp jolted, gaping up at Luffy. "Hey wait! We're not gonna-"

"You bet we are!" Nami cheered, already planning on how to spend that treasure.

Despite Usopp's protests, he was clearly outnumbered, and had no choice but to help navigate the Going Merry through the storm. Nami shouted orders, ensuring they remained on the correct path, which was no easy task given the strength of the storm. Usopp and Zoro handled the rigging, keeping the sails angled to catch the wind efficiently. Abel manned the helm, holding tight to keep the rudder straight. And Luffy... well, he sat atop the figurehead doing absolutely nothing useful. But at least he wasn't causing any trouble, so they overlooked it.

From inside the galley, Abel could see the island dead ahead. It rose into the swirling clouds at the eye of the storm. It looked like forest covered the entire mass. Abel wondered if this storm was a permanent thing. It certainly seemed like it was trying to discourage people from reaching the island. While it seemed unlikely, Abel didn't want to discount it as absurd. If black magic could turn a snake into a basilisk, who's to say a curse couldn't create a storm to shield an island? If that really was the case, there must be something valuable on that island. The experience itself was enough motivation for Abel.

Thanks to their teamwork, the Going Merry and its crew arrived at Treasure Island unscathed. Despite the storm still raging in the clouds, no rain fell on the island itself. This was particularly strange, given how thick the forest was. It was almost like being in a rainforest. Trees and vines loomed overhead. But aside from the thunder, there were no other sounds to be heard. This automatically made Abel suspicious. A forest this dense should be teaming with the sounds of animal life. Birds, insects and other critters should be bustling around. But it was strangely devoid of life.

Nami led the crew inland, the others following almost in a perfect line. It was necessary, with how dense the foliage was. Luffy followed after her, along with Zoro, Usopp and Abel. Usopp had insisted on that order, stating he wanted Zoro in front of his to defend him and Abel to watch his back, citing that the first and last people in a group were always the ones who "got it." Abel honestly didn't care, especially since that allowed her to witness the comedy of Usopp practically being wedged into Zoro's back, scanning the area like he was paranoid. She couldn't suppress the chuckle when a giant Venus fly trap tried to bite him. This was especially amusing since it had ignored the rest of them. Maybe there was something to being able to smell fear.

"Hey, this place is creepy," Usopp stated.

"Yeah, so?" was all Zoro responded with, stalwartly ignoring the man cowering behind him.

"You mentioned something about stories, Nami," Abel called to the front of the line. "Care to enlighten us?" She was curious what the rumors of this island were.

Plowing through the brush, Nami explained, "It's said somewhere on this island rests an unimaginable fortune just waiting to be found. Supposedly many pirates have landed here in the past... but they all fled in absolute terror before they ever got a chance to look for it." She stopped and turned, letting the others catch up.

"Absolute terror?" Luffy repeated, engrossed in the story.

Crossing her arms with a dark expression, Nami replied, "I'd be afraid too. They say one pirate's face suddenly turned in to a boar's face. And another pirate's mustache stretched out like a couple of snakes and strangled him."

Luffy glanced back at their resident monster expert. "What do you think, Abel? You've studied this stuff."

Abel tapped her lip in thought. "Just based on those stories, it sounds like it may be a curse... or maybe witchcraft. Perhaps whatever pirate hid their treasure here placed a curse on it to act as a supernatural booby-trap to prevent others from finding the treasure. Pirates do seem to enjoy hording treasure, even after they're deceased." Abel shrugged noncommittally. "Of course, without any solid evidence, this is all just conjecture."

If Usopp had been scared before, now he looked ready to faint. "But those stories aren't true... right?" he asked, hopeful.

Nami shrugged, but smiled uncertainly. "Well, I'm sure some of those stories are exaggerations."

"We'd do well to not dismiss them outright," Abel warned. "All stories and rumors exist to for a reason. Either someone started those rumors to frighten others away from this island, in which case there may indeed be something valuable here... or some version of them is based on fact."

"Just stop talking!" Usopp snapped at the archer, his knees shaking so badly Abel wasn't sure how he was standing upright.

Abel merely placed her hands on her hips. "Hope for the best; prepare for the worst. That's one philosophy that's served me well."

Zoro broke the tension when he suddenly yawned, looking as bored as a person could possibly be, and announced, "I'm tired." He laid on the ground, hands behind his head. "Nap time." And with that said, he started snoring.

The others watched in both awe and confusion. "How can he sleep in such a creepy place?" Usopp wondered.

"He's either dumb, or he's got nerves of steel," Nami decided.

"My vote is for laziness born out of overconfidence," Abel stated, turning from the swordsman. Zoro seemed to concern himself with little outside of fighting. _Zoro's strong, but he'd do well to remember that he's only human and therefore prone to mistakes. A bit of caution wouldn't go amiss._

The crew spread out across the clearing, taking in the forest. Abel stood near the treeline, peering into the forest. She thought she could make out movement in the forest, but it could just be bushes. A nearby rustling sound forced Abel to look up. She took a step back, one hand going to her crossbow, as something swooped down near her head. Abel stared as she came face-to-face with some sort of bat creature. At least she thought it was some sort of bat. It had black bat wings. But its body was that of a tiny... panda bear? It stared back at Abel, hanging upside down by its clawed feet from a vine. _It's like a... banda_.

Abel reached out to touch it, but the banda (as she'd now dubbed it) seemed to take exception to this. It chirped and flew up, landing on Abel's outstretched arm. It spread its wings and chirped again, trying to be threatening by showing its tiny fangs. But Abel's reaction was far from fear. "Aww..." she cooed. "Aren't you just the most adorable little blood-sucker." Abel tapped it on the nose. The banda snapped at her finger, but Abel just grinned like one would at a kitten trying to swipe them. Abel studied the creature closely. _I'll add this to my collection book_, she told herself, taking it all the details.

The others, however, didn't sound to be having as good at time. Nami and Usopp's shrieks startled Abel and the banda, causing the furry creature to flutter away. Feeling more than a little disappointed, Abel turned to see what was going on. She stared at Usopp and Nami on the ground (Nami sitting on Usopp's back, apparently from where they fell), the two watching tearfully as some sort of dog-chicken and furry snake-rabbit creature ran by them.

Now, what had once been a peaceful forest quickly turned into danger, as red, gleaming eyes leered at the group from all sides. "What... what's going on?" Nami gulped.

Both of Abel's hands rested on her crossbows now. As interested as she was in these hybrid creatures, she wasn't about to allow herself or her crew to be attacked by them. The three they'd seen had been harmless enough, but there could be worse out there. She could always study them post-mortem, after all.

"Leave now!" a voice howled from the forest.

"Who's there!?" Luffy demanded.

"Leave now!" the voice repeated.

"Guys! Where's that voice coming from?" Nami asked.

"It's difficult to tell," Abel admitted. The forest was making the voice echo, so they couldn't tell which direction it was coming from to find the source. But it was definitely a male voice.

"I am the vengeful island god!" the voice continued, ignoring their conversation. "Leave at once if you value your lives!"

"Island god?" Luffy repeated, clearly not believing him.

The voice paused then. "Wait. You guys are pirates, right?"

"Well, yeah," Luffy answered.

The voice growled. "I knew it!"

"Why would a god need to ask something like that?" Nami rightly questioned. Wouldn't a god already know that?

"I don't know," the voice carelessly answered, before backpedaling. "I mean- take one more step into the forest! The instant you do, you will instantly receive my divine punishment, and meet your doom! Which is my punishment! Wait-"

Abel raised an eyebrow at this bizarre conversation. "This island god sounds more like the god of Alzheimer's." Not that she'd ever had a conversation with a god before, but Abel didn't expect them to sound so... scatterbrained.

"This guy is weird," Nami agreed.

Luffy glanced at the two women. "Yeah. What's his deal, anyway?"

"What did you say, Straw Hat Boy?" the voice demanded. As if given some invisible signal, the sources of the red eyes moved closer, revealing themselves to be a menagerie of hybrid animals.

As they came closer, the crew backed up closer together. The animals didn't appear hostile at the moment, but that could always change. "What are these things?" Usopp asked, voice trembling.

"They used to be humans," the voice stated. "They came looking for treasure, but all they found was my wrath!"

Usopp fell to one knee. "You transformed them? Then you really are a god!"

Abel, however, wasn't so easily convinced. "You're story doesn't add up. If you really had transformed trespassers into these creatures, why would they be doing your bidding? Wouldn't they be afraid of you? Or at the very least try to warn us away lest we suffer the same fate?"

"Uh..." the voice had no answer.

"Furthermore," Abel continued, undeterred. "If you have the power to transform us at will, why bother trying to scare us off? If your goal is to keep people off your island, wouldn't it be more to your advantage to deal with intruders immediately rather than give them a chance to escape and tell others about this place? How else do you think we knew about this place?"

Before she could continue grilling this so-called god, Usopp ran over and threw a hand over Abel's mouth. "Abel!" he hissed. "Be quiet! You're going to get us all cursed!" Abel sent Usopp an unamused look. Seriously, you'd think a liar like him would be better at telling when someone else was lying.

Unlike his comrade, however, Luffy wasn't as fearful. Instead, he was rather intrigued. "Look at all these weird things." There was an ostrich with a zebra's head and feet, and an upright rhino with a baby in its pouch like a kangaroo. He picked one of the creatures up. "So is this a pig?" he asked. It looked like one, but it had a lion's mane.

"Could be a lion," Nami answered, unsure.

Luffy and the... lig... stared at each other. Then, without warning, the lig bit Luffy's face, stretching his rubbery skin. Luffy flailed for a second before dropping the lig and held his sore face. It definitely had teeth like a lion.

"You stretchy freak of nature!" the voice gasped, sounding surprisingly... surprised for a god. "What are you?"

Putting a finger in his mouth, Luffy stretched one side of his mouth out. "One time I ate a Devil Fruit, and now I'm a rubber person," he explained, although it sounded strange thanks to his stretched lips.

"Yeah, right," the voice scoffed. "A Devil Fruit? I heard those same stupid stories back when I was a pirate."

Abel's ears perked up at that. She shoved Usopp's offending hand out of the way and repeated, "When you were a pirate? Since when do gods have previous vocations?"

The voice's story was quickly unraveling. Not that it was that convincing in the first place. "No! I mean, uh- I wasn't reminiscing about the old days! Enough of that kind of talk! I don't wanna hear about the old days, got it!"

"Are you nuts?" Luffy asked disrespectfully. "You're the one that brought it up."

"You faker!" Nami shouted angrily. "You sound too dumb to be a god!" Nami didn't like when someone tried to trick her. That was her job, damn it!

"Shut up!" the voice snapped back just as angrily. "If you won't leave, then prepare for my divine judgment!" Dozens of very sharp wooden spears started flying at them. The pirates had to sidestep more than a few to avoid being staked. As she ducked under some, Abel saw they were coming from small catapults that lined the area, hidden cleverly by the brush. Strange methods for a "god." Didn't they usually just rain down fire and brimstone? Why would they need mechanical devices?

When the stakes failed to stop them, the god released boulders from the trees, held aloft by a pulley system. Luckily, the only one who got hit by the boulders was Luffy. And of course they didn't hurt him. He just literally shrugged the boulders off. "You're really pushing your luck, _god_." The last part came out sarcastically.

"How are you not dead!?" the voice shouted. But instead of echoing through the trees, the voice obvious came from somewhere behind Luffy.

Luffy turned and spotted a suspicious moving bush. "There you are!"

Had he been quiet, the voice might've gotten away. But instead he confirmed Luffy's suspicions by warning, "Don't move!" Undaunted, Luffy took a step closer. "I said don't move!" A bullet whizzed through the bushes, hitting Luffy in the back. But his body just stretched to accommodate the intrusion before shooting it into the sky. That didn't stop Nami and Usopp from screaming, however. Not that Abel could blame them. Even though she knew it didn't hurt Luffy, it was a bit distressing to see his body stretch along a bullet's trajectory.

"No!" the voice shouted. "That can't be!"

Now Abel could see that the bush did bounce around whenever the voice spoke. _Maybe it's some kind of gnome_, she wondered. That could be interesting... if he'd stop trying to kill them for five seconds.

"Hey _island god_," Nami taunted. "Even mortals know bullets can't hurt a rubber man."

Luffy straightened his hat. "Maybe not, but I still hate them." Understandable. Who would like being shot?

"You're some kind of monster!" the bush accused, sounded terrified of Luffy. Apparently he decided retreat was the best option now, as he ran away.

Usopp saw the bush running away. "Over there!" he shouted, pointing at it.

As Luffy ran off after him, Abel snatched the bush's weapon off the ground. "Is that his gun?" Nami asked.

Abel hummed as she examined the weapon. It was a flintlock pistol. And a very old one, at that. Abel examined the markings. "Interesting... this model hasn't been made in nearly twenty years. It's practically an antique." She examined the markings on the inside of the barrel. "There's a lot of wear on the inside of the barrel, indicating that it isn't just for show." Abel twirled the pistol around idly. "Maybe the gnome really did use to be a pirate." This certainly looked like the kind of weapon a pirate would use. It wasn't a fancy gun, but more practical, and had seen a lot of use, but was obviously in need of a good repair and cleaning.

"We should find Luffy," Nami suggested.

"What about Zoro?" Usopp asked.

Abel eyed the still sleeping swordsman. Beyond all chance, the stakes had all landed harmlessly around him. "Leave him," Abel advised. "He'll wake up eventually." With that, the trio ran in the direction Luffy'd gone.

They found their captain near one of the cliffs. He stood in front of what appeared to be a big, perfectly circular bush sticking out of a chest of some sort. "What is this?" Nami asked.

"Could it be the... island god?" Usopp asked hesitantly.

Unexpectedly, the bush started to run away again. They could see two large, rough feet sticking out from the bottom of the chest. _It really is a gnome!_ Abel thought excitedly. Something else to add to her books.

But the gnome didn't make it very far. Apparently that bush prevented it from seeing, as he ran straight into a tree, falling onto his back. His feet wiggled uselessly in the air, like a turtle stuck on its back. Cautiously they approached. As the storm passed and the sun started shining through the trees, they got a better look at their "god." And what they found was probably even more surprisingly. A man's head stuck out of the top of the chest, missing one tooth and with a bushy beard. It looked like what they'd thought was a bush was actually the man's hair, which was for some reason green, even though the rest of his facial hair was black. He glared at the group, although the impact was lost since he was upside down and unable to move. "Stand me up!" he demanded, irritated at their inaction. "Stand me up already!"

"It's a person!" Nami gasped.

"Awesome!" Luffy exclaimed. "He's like a talking scrub brush!"

Usopp, however, was not amused. "That's it?" he asked. "You're not even a minor deity. You're more like a box."

"C'mon! Stand me up now!" the box-man pleaded. Luffy and Usopp finally obliged, putting him on his feet. Somehow, Abel thought he looked even more ridiculous upright, with his feet sticking out at the bottom and his hands holding on to the side of the box, like it was a towel and he was trying to hide his modesty. Even if you included his massive afro, he still only came up to their hips. The box-man glanced nervously between them. Trying to salvage some pride, if he'd ever had any in the first place, he declared, "I'll let you off with a warning this time!" before trying to run away again.

But Luffy wasn't having it. "No! Wait!" He grabbed the back of the chest. The box-man kept running, stretching Luffy's arm. After a few yards, Luffy couldn't stretch it anymore, and the box-man started running in place. Luffy grinned, but quickly lost his humor when his body recoiled towards his hand, sending him flying into the box-man. This knocked them both forward... off the cliff. They could hear the box-man screaming and Luffy laughing.

"Luffy!" Nami and Usopp cried, running to the cliff.

They reached the cliff in time to see Luffy grab a branch that was conveniently sticking out from the cliffside. His arm stretched, gradually slowing their fall (not that the box-man noticed this), before slingshoting them back into the sky. The duo disappeared in the sun's glare before plummeting to the ground. They landed very dramatically in the trees, sending a variety of hybrid birds flying away. The crew found Luffy tangled among the branches, laughing like he'd just been on the greatest rollercoaster ride ever, while the box-man laid face-first on the ground, radiating irritation.

Taking pity on the strange man, Abel helped him up while Usopp fished Luffy out of the trees. The box-man flinched as Abel knelt in front of him with an inquisitive expression. Not wanting to beat around the bush, ironically speaking, Abel straight up asked, "Are you a gnome?"

The box-man turned red with anger. "No! I'm not a gnome! I'm a person, just like you!"

Abel frowned. "How disappointing..." She was honestly a bit sad about that. She'd been hoping to have something interesting to put in her monster book. Seeing that she had no further reason to talk to the strange man, Abel walked away, leaning against a tree with an almost-pout on her face.

Mumbling something under his breath, the box-man began, "I suppose I owe you for saving me from falling, so I'll come clean. My name is Gaimon, and I'm just a normal person like you guys. I only made up that lie to scare people away from my island."

"What about those crazy animals?" Usopp asked.

"They've always been here," Gaimon answered. "They're just strange animals - nothing more." Said animals began to crowd around Gaimon, licking his face in obvious affection.

Nami chuckled. "You're a pretty popular guy, Mr. Island God."

"So let me get this straight," Usopp began, trying to wrap his head around all this. "These crazy animals helped you scare off the pirates who came to his place looking for treasure?"

"Never seen a person stuffed inside a treasure chest before," Luffy said with a smile. "You're a real-life jack-in-the-box."

"Yes. Ironically I am in fact trapped in a box. And my name is- You idiot!" Gaimon snapped once he realized what Luffy'd said. "I'm a person not a toy!" He growled, trying to calm himself down. "I've been stranded alone on this island and stuck in this contemptible box for twenty years!"

This renewed Abel's interest in the conversation. "Twenty years?" she repeated. "You've been wedged in that chest for that long?" Now that she looked closer, Abel could see Gaimon's knees sticking out at the top. He'd somehow actually managed to get himself stuck in a chest. The thought alone made Abel feel claustrophobic.

"Yeah," Gaimon sighed with obvious bitterness. "Just take a look at me. I got a beard like a wild man. And in all that time..." His voice started to get shaky then. "You're the first people that I've had a real conversation with. Can you understand how painful that is?"

Abel raised an eyebrow. "Well, to be fair, if you've been greeting everyone who stops here the same way you did us, you can't really blame them for leaving. Your hospitality is somewhat lacking."

Luffy snorted. "That's pretty ridiculous."

"What did you say!?"

As Gaimon yelled at Luffy, Abel looked up at the sound of heavy boots approaching from the woods. "Did you have a nice nap?" she asked Zoro as he neared.

The man still seemed to be waking up. His eyes were closed and he kept yawning. "There you guys are," he said, his voice a big sluggish. "I've been looking all over for you guys." Abel tried to hide a smirk, waiting for Zoro to notice their companion.

It took longer than should've been necessary. Zoro joined their little pow-wow, sat down on a rock, and finally opened his eyes. Only then did he notice the box-man staring at him. Zoro jumped, falling off the rock. "What the heck is that!?" Abel thought that was a bit of an overreaction.

"Delayed reaction?" Abel taunted.

"Check it out! He's in a treasure chest!" Luffy said.

Zoro blinked, taking it all in. "Like a jack-in-the-box, but real."

"Yes. Ironically I am in fact in a box, and my name is- You idiot! We've already been through all that!"

Before Gaimon could continue his rant, not that he really had the right since he fell for the same line twice, Luffy jumped on his back and shoved his hands in Gaimon's mouth. "Zoro, give me a hand," he called.

Together, the two men tried to free Gaimon from his prison by force. But Gaimon didn't appear to appreciate the effort. Understandable, given that Luffy was pulling on his skill while Zoro pulled on his hair. In fact, if the screams were anything to go by, it hurt. A lot. "Boss, I don't think that's working," Abel stated, feeling sorry for the box-man.

Taking a hint, they stopped pulling at him. "Sorry," Luffy apologized, rubbing his forehead from the exertion. "I'm afraid you're stuck."

"Don't be stupid!" Gaimon snapped, rightfully angry. "I've been stuck inside this blasted treasure chest for so many years now that it's slowly become a part of my body! If you try to break it, you'll break my body, too!"

Abel frowned at the thought. "I can't begin to imagine the sort of internal structural changes being confined to such a small space would inflict on a person's body after so long. Muscular atrophy, changes in blood pressure... Even if he survived the heart attack that would inevitably come from the stress of the sudden change in environment, he'd never be able to support himself without years of physical therapy."

Zoro and Luffy gawked at Abel like she'd just started spouting random gibberish. "So... that's bad, right?" Luffy so eloquently summarized.

Nami sighed. "Yes, Luffy. That's very bad."

Gaimon sighed as well, no doubt getting a headache. He goes years without any human contact, and the first people he talks to are absolutely crazy. "All right, guys. Enough about me. Who are you? You're not like any of those other pirates who come around here, that's for sure."

_Understatement of the bloody century_, Abel thought.

Sitting back down, Luffy smiled at Gaimon and properly introduced himself. "I'm Luffy. And I'm gonna be the Pirate King."

Gaimon's eyes shot open. "You're what!?"

Undaunted, Luffy clarified, "I'm gonna get the One Piece, and then I'm gonna be the Pirate King."

Gaimon still couldn't believe his ears. "The One Piece!? Don't tell me you idiots are actually planning to sail on the Grand Line!"

"Yep! We got a chart, right here!" Luffy held the map up for Gaimon to see.

"Don't be such a fool!" Gaimon chided, grinning wickedly. Abel already knew this would be the part of the conversation where Gaimon would warn Luffy about the danger of the Grand Line, and Luffy would inevitably win Gaimon over with his unflappable confidence. True to the formula, Gaimon continued, "The Grand Line's a graveyard. I once saw a group of pirates who had managed to escape from that horrible place, and I'll never forget it. It was an awful sight. They were just a hollow shell of the men they used to be. There's no telling what horrors they witnessed in that ghastly place. Not one among them even tried to speak." Gaimon leveled the crew with a stern expression. "Now listen to me well, young pirates. The rumors of the One Piece spawn more rumors. Who knows what's true? It's been only twenty-odd years since the start of the Great Pirate Era, and the One Piece is already a dream beyond a dream within a legend."

Luffy didn't respond. He just stared down at the map in his hands. Abel had the feeling that Gaimon, nor anyone else for that matter, would ever dissuade Luffy from his dream. He seemed well aware of the danger he'd be going into. But whereas most people fled from danger, Luffy faced it with gusto. Foolhardy, perhaps, but admirable. Abel suspected he'd rather die pursuing his dream than living a long, "safe" life.

Surprisingly, even after his speech Gaimon joined Luffy in staring at the map. "So, which one of these _is_ the Grand Line?" he asked.

"I don't know," Luffy answered honestly. "I figured you could tell me, Mr. Scrub Brush Guy."

"Sorry, I never learned how to read a sea chart."

"I never did, either." Then for some strange reason, the two started laughing. Although Abel couldn't say if it was at their own ignorance or the fact that they had something in common.

Nami shook her head. "Ignorance is bliss, isn't it?" Nami gave a nervous smile. "Anyway, even if we do somehow make it to the Grand Line, the best idea would be to get as much treasure as we can and then escape."

"I was under the impression that getting out of the Grand Line was just as difficult as getting in," Abel mused.

Luffy just smiled at Nami's disbelief. "You go ahead and do that. But I'm gonna find the One Piece."

Nami gave Luffy a strange look, then. "Where do you get all that confidence of yours?"

"I'll get it! You'll see!"

Nami just shrugged. "Whatever you say..." Clearly she didn't believe it.

"... you're me..." Everyone turned at Gaimon's breathed statement. He was staring up at Luffy with an... awed look of nostalgia. "You're exactly like me," he reiterated. "You even look like me. We could be twins!"

"How can you say he looks like you?" Nami protested. Even if his younger years, she doubted Luffy looked anything like Gaimon. Were his eyes messed up like the rest of his body?

Ignoring her question, Gaimon shouted, "Young man! I understand about your pursuit of your dreams. When I was a younger man we used to feel the same way!"

"What d'ya mean 'we'?" Luffy asked, surprised by Gaimon's mood swing.

Memories of his long-forgotten past stirred up a passion in Gaimon, compelling to share his story with those who might understand what it was like to dream the impossible. "We were willing to put our lives on the line in search for treasure. It was that single-minded zeal that changed the course of my life forever! It happened twenty years ago... I was a much younger man then. My fellow pirates and I landed on this island with a single purpose: to find the treasure that was said to rest here. But after a month of diligent searching, we only found empty chests. So the captain ordered us out. But before we left, I noticed a tall cliff that no one had checked. So I climbed to the top. I couldn't believe my own eyes... five untouched treasure chests! I tried to call the others back, but my hand slipped, and I fell. I thought I would die... but instead I landed in one of the empty chests." Gaimon frowned darkly at the chest trapping his body. He rapped his knuckles against it a few times. "That's when I got stuck in this blasted chest. When I came to, my crew was already far out to sea. I tried to get the treasure myself, but of course I couldn't climb with these stubby limbs. I called for help, but no one ever came." Gaimon sighed heavily. "And after all this time, that fortune that I only saw for an instant has never strayed far from my lonely old mind. Pirates have come here countless times to search for my treasure. But fortunately my friends here helped me scare them away." Obviously he was referring to the strange animals. "That's how I kept my treasure safe and sound for the past twenty years. It's my treasure!"

Luffy nodded emphatically. "There's no question. It's yours, all right." If anyone had sacrifice for it, it was a man who'd forgone human contact for twenty years.

"Then it seems our arrival is most fortuitous," Abel commented, drawing everyone's attention. With a smile, she clapped her hands down on Luffy's shoulders. "Because some of us have the ability to retrieve your long-sought treasure."

Gaimon gasped, catching what Abel was getting at. With Luffy's powers, it'd be an easy task for him to stretch up and get the treasure. He turned eager eyes to Luffy. "Do you mean it!?"

"Yeah!" Luffy readily agreed. He liked the old box-man, so of course he'd help him out.

"Uh, guys..." Usopp called, trying to discreetly cover his mouth so some people wouldn't hear him. "Are you sure that's a good idea with... certain people around..." He tried to secretly point to Nami.

However, Usopp's obvious mistrust fired Nami up. "How rude!" she protested. "I am a thief, but I have a conscience." So even Nami could be moved by someone's story.

Gaimon wasted no time and called for some sort of cow-tortoise to carry him and the pirates to the plateau where he'd seen the treasure chests. While the others chatted about their time at sea, sharing stories like old sea-dogs, Abel took the time to make some rough sketches of the animals. Of course she made one of the panda (who seemed to keep flying around her head to admire his portrait), but she also made one for the rog, the cortoise and the rhinaroo.

She was so engrossed in her sketching that she didn't notice they'd attracted someone's attention. "What's that?" Zoro asked, leaning over her shoulder to get a better look.

Blinking as she came out of her concentration, Abel held the sketchbook out to him. "I'm making notes," she replied.

"I thought you were working on a _monster_ book," he said.

"I am. These may not be monsters, but they're still strange enough that no one would believe they exist if I didn't document it." She may not make proper diagrams in her finished work, but she wanted to keep a record if only for her personal collection.

By that time, they'd arrived at the place that had tormented Gaimon for so long. It became clear why he hadn't been able to make it on his own. The plateau sat at the highest point of the island. It was very high up, and the walls were almost perfectly smooth. It would be a struggle for even a normal person to climb. And that's why it made it the perfect place to hide treasure. "It's here?" Luffy asked as they slid off the cortoise's back.

"Yes, this is the place. It's all up there." Gaimon lowered his head, savoring this moment. All of his waiting and suffering was about to come to an end. When he raised his head again, it was with steely eyes and a triumphant grin. "The time has finally come. It's a great day! Get to it, Straw Hat!"

"Sure thing! Gum-Gum..." Luffy stretched a hand, reaching the top of the plateau easily. "... Rocket!" He shot himself up, disappearing from sight as he landed.

Everyone waited tensely, but Luffy was remarkably quiet. They started fearing the worst. "Hey! The chests!" Gaimon called up, the anticipation after so many years killing him. "You see?"

But no one answered. "What the hell is he up to?" Zoro questioned.

Abel cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Hey, Boss. Did you get lost up there?" Seriously, what was taking him so long? Were there treasure chests up there or not? The anticipation in the air was so thick Zoro could cut it with a sword.

Finally, Luffy appeared over the corner of the plateau, holding what looked like a chest in his arms. "I found 'em!" he shouted down. "Six treasure chests!"

Gaimon beamed up at him. "Yes! Good work!" He laughed heartily, relieved that his waiting was finally about to pay off. "Now it's mine! I get my treasure! C'mon, toss it down! I wanna see it! Go ahead and toss it down, boy! Let's have a look at it!"

Luffy looked down, a large grin stretching across his face. "No way!" The entire crew gasped. What was Luffy doing? But instead of giving a real answer, all Luffy did was smile and say, "I don't wanna. Sucks for you!" Luffy's sudden change in attitude was shocking.

Surprisingly, the person who seemed to be the angriest was Nami. Strange, given that she was a thief and all. But as she'd already said, even she could feel sorry for someone. Plus, Nami wasn't one to lie about sharing treasure. "What kind of crap is that, Luffy!?" she demanded angrily. "Give the man his gold!"

"You ass!" Usopp added. "That treasure belongs to Gaimon and you know it! Toss it all down, now!" But Luffy remained unmoved.

Abel was honestly dumbfounded by this. This was not the sort of thing she'd come to expect from Luffy. Something was up; she could feel it. _Luffy doesn't have a greedy bone in his body. Hell, he even left a million berries behind in that town Buggy destroyed so they could rebuild. He's generous to a fault, and doesn't have it in him to betray anyone. That aside, he's a terrible liar_. Abel wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but she was positive there was more than met the eye. Luffy was not a deceptive person.

But Nami and Usopp were too caught up in the moment to notice that Luffy didn't look so happy anymore. "Hey, I'm not joking around, Mister!" she warned, like a mother scolding a misbehaving child.

"It doesn't matter," Gaimon said slowly. He lowered his head, looking understandably downhearted. "It's all right..."

Nami whirled around. "It's not all right!" she protested. Had she been able to, she would've smacked Luffy in the head for being such a jerk.

Usopp also tried to cheer the man up by siding with him. "Gaimon! You've been guarding that treasure with your heart and soul for the last twenty years!"

But Gaimon ignored them. "Straw Hat... You're a great guy!" he yelled up, tears in his eyes. Now Nami and Usopp were even more confused. Luffy was being greedy and Gaimon was thanking him? What was going on? Gaimon sniffled, trying to keep a brave smile up. "I always had an inkling that this might be the case. I tried not to think about it, but still..." As he trailed off, clearly upset by whatever he was thinking, Luffy sat down, a heavy frown upon his face. Gaimon covered his face with his hands and choked out, "They're empty!"

Nami and Usopp looked horrified, not wanting to believe it. But Luffy confirmed it. "Yup, they're empty," he said, his voice uncharacteristically somber. "Every last one of them."

"Now I understand," Abel mused. "Luffy was trying to protect Gaimon from the truth. Better to think that someone else had stolen his treasure than to know that he spent all these years guarding nothing." Abel felt bad for the strange, little man, who was understandably torn up over this news. He sobbed into his box, actually looking like he wanted to disappear inside. All those years of waiting, for nothing. Had he known they were empty, he might've been able to get a ride back to civilization instead of trying to scare everyone off to protect a treasure that didn't exist.

"How sad..." Nami said with sorrow in her eyes at the sight of a man reduced to tears.

Gaimon shook his head between his sobs. "It happens all the time with treasures that have maps leading to them. You set out on a quest to find it, but someone else got to it first. That's the kind of risk you have to take when you're a treasure-hunting pirate. You can waste your whole life searching, and never once find treasure. Plenty of pirates live like that. Believe me."

But rather than feel sorry for him, Luffy just started laughing. A bit inappropriate, perhaps. But no one ever accused Luffy of being sensitive. "Try not to be too upset, Old Man!" he said with genuine cheer, smiling down at the distraught man. "It's a good thing we came along when we did after twenty years! Twenty years later and you might've been dead!"

And even though he still had tears in his eyes, Gaimon looked comforted by Luffy's words. "Oh, Straw Hat!"

"Luffy..." Nami breathed, surprised by Luffy's sudden insight.

"Is he...?" Usopp didn't know how to finish that. Luffy may have been a simple man, but at times that let him see to the heart of the matter with no distractions. And he didn't stay down for long.

Beaming down, Luffy said, "Since this treasure hunt's a bust, you're gonna need something else to fill your time. Why don't you join up with us and search for the One Piece?"

"What? Really? You're asking me?" Luffy's generosity set off a new wave of tears, but this time they were of gratitude. "I know how I must look to you. Other people wouldn't even speak to me, but you are kind. It's been so many years since I had a friend... Thank you!"

The pirates let Gaimon cry as much as he needed, watching on silently as the man expressed both sorrow and relief. Strange how often those two emotions went together. And when the tears dried up, they gathered back at the Going Merry. A beautiful sunset was there to see them off this strange island.

Gaimon turned to face the crew, and Abel had the feeling that despite his small stature, he was standing tall. "Thank you for your offer, Straw Hat," Gaimon began with a bright smile. "But I'll have to pass. I'm going to remain here, on my island."

Surprisingly, Luffy didn't put up as much a fight as he usually did when he wanted someone to join the crew. Maybe he understood how resolute Gaimon was. "You're sure you want to stay on the island?" Luffy asked.

"Yes, I'm sure," Gaimon answered. "There's something far more valuable here than treasure that I feel I must protect."

Usopp blinked. "Worth more than gold?" What could be that valuable?

Gaimon held out his hands, the strange animals that called this island home gathered around him. "For the past twenty years, these guys have stood by my side through thick and thin. I can't leave 'em." The animals must've been glad to hear that, because they started licking Gaimon's face like happy puppies. Abel smiled at the sight. It was nice to know that, even if he didn't have much human contact, he still had companions. She would've felt bad for leaving him here all alone.

Calming the animals down, Gaimon continued, "Now that I know there's no treasure here, I somehow finally feel free. Without that heavy burden, I can finally concentrate on the things that really matter to me. And besides, after all these years I've grown fond of this little box."

"Too bad. You're a neat guy," Luffy said, but he didn't look too sad about Gaimon's decision. "You're pretty cool for a scrub brush."

"The weird creatures here are your true friends," Zoro added. He could understand wanting to stay by their side. After twenty years, a bond like that wasn't easily severed.

Luffy chuckled. "Yep. And he's the weirdest of them all!"

"Excuse me!" Gaimon snapped. But it was all in good jest.

Saying their last goodbyes, the crew boarded the ship and got ready to get under way again. After Zoro raised the anchor, the sails picked up the evening wind and the tide carried them away. The crew gathered around the stern to find Gaimon and the animals seeing them off. Nami and Luffy waved at them. "Take care, okay?" Luffy called.

"Bye, Gaimon!" Nami shouted as the island got smaller in the distance.

"What an interesting little adventure," Abel mused with a smile. Gaimon's little island had put hope in her heart. She was certain that, if she stayed with Luffy, she would come across more amazing creatures and monsters to put in her book.


	11. Sanji, the Sea Cook

**Hey guys. Again, thanks for all of the reviews. This chapter ended a bit shorter than I'd originally planned, but I felt it was a good place to break. So that means this arc will probably be 3 chapters long.**

**Also, I'm going to try to work on some drawings of Abel. I'll upload them when (if) I get them done.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: Language**

* * *

Abel busied herself moving crates around in the armory storage. She was determined to make an office area for her to work on her research. She had the idea last night when she'd been sitting on the sofa with her sketches scattered on the coffee table while Nami sat at the desk updating her charts. Although the women's quarters was more than large enough for the two of them and their stuff, there wasn't enough work space. So while she was getting ready for bed, Abel realized that she could just commandeer a space for herself. Usopp had done something similar, setting up a small workstation in the galley on the far side from the kitchen.

After some deliberation, Abel settled on using the armory deck. The storage room got too much traffic for her to work properly. But no one ever came into the armory unless it was to raise or lower the anchor, or if they needed to man the main cannon. And obviously Abel wouldn't be working in that situation. Hence why she was moving all the crates to one side of the room, leaving her with plenty of space. Abel lined up two sets of crates along the wall, acting as a makeshift desk. She also rolled a barrel over to act as a chair.

Abel stood back, examining her set-up. "This could definitely work..." she mused aloud. When they reached the next inhabited island, she'd look into getting proper furniture. But she was glad to have an idea to work with for now. "I'll also need some storage. I don't think Nami will appreciate me leaving any samples in the sleeping quarters." In Abel's field, "samples" usually meant body part and organs.

The door opening broke Abel's train of thought. It took her eyes a second to adjust to the bright light outside, but when they did she spotted Luffy peering through the door, clearly looking for something. He blinked at Abel, surprised to see her there. "Oh, so this is where you went," Luffy said. "Whatcha doing?"

"Designing a place to work on my research," Abel replied, turning to face her captain properly. "You?"

As he stepped into the room proper, Luffy kept looking around for something. "I was trying to find the cannonballs."

_Unexpected_, Abel thought. "They're over there," she informed him, pointing over at an open crate filled with cannon shot.

"Oh! Thanks!" Luffy ran over and hefted the entire crate up. He almost dropped it immediately, having underestimated how heavy a box of cannon shot would be. "Wow, this is really heavy," he said, struggling to hold the crate to his chest. Without any explanation, Luffy carried the box outside. Abel followed close behind, suspected that letting Luffy wander around with a box full of cannonballs probably wouldn't end well.

She trailed behind Luffy as he carried the box to the aft deck where Nami and Usopp were. Nami lounged in a chair, reading a book, while Usopp fiddled with his slingshot. The snoring coming from the roof of the galley told Abel that Zoro was sleeping up there... again. The man really was part cat.

With less care than someone should give a box with "DANGER" written on all sides, Luffy dropped the box to the deck. "Sucker's heavy," he panted.

"What the hell is that!?" Nami snapped, having been scared out of her reading when Luffy dropped the box.

"Found it in the storeroom," Luffy replied.

Walking past him, Abel picked up one of the balls. "Cannon shot," she finished. They were a bit smaller than regular cannonballs, but they could fly faster and were just as destructive. Abel weighed the ball in her hand. It was pretty hefty.

Grinning, Luffy continued, "I figured since we have our own cannon now we could get in some target practice."

"That's a good idea, Boss," Abel complimented, impressed he'd come up with it on his own. "It's always preferable to test out new weapons outside of battle. Don't want to be learning about some fatal flaw when it's too late."

"Just leave the cannoning to me!" Usopp shouted. He started in on another one of his stories. Something about riding a cannonball around the world. Abel didn't know; she tuned him out pretty quickly. But she gave the boy credit; he was inventive.

Luffy apparently thought the same way, as he ignored Usopp in favor of examining the cannon. Abel tried not to laugh at the clueless expression that fell across her captain's face as he stared at the cannon. The image of a monkey staring at a typewriter came to mind... in the nicest possible way, of course. She did find her young captain quite precious at times. "How do you work this thing?" he muttered to himself before looking in the direction of the snoring. "Zoro! You know how to shoot this!?" he called.

"Asleep," Nami sang. "The guy sleeps constantly."

Luffy pouted. "He's no fun."

Smirking, Abel approached both Luffy and the cannon. "Cannons typically aren't that complicated to operate," she advised as she walked around the cannon to get a better look. "It seems to be a common model. You just pour black powder into the muzzle then insert the cannonball. It also appears to have a pull cord instead of a fuse, which could be beneficial. That means the cannon will fire anytime it's loaded and you pull the cord, rather than having to wait for the fuse to burn down. And there's a crank on the side to easily adjust your trajectory."

"You know, just to the south of here is a reef that would make for some excellent target practice," Nami suggested after studying the map.

"Let's go!" Luffy cheered. He started jumping around, excited to test out the cannon.

The reef turned out to be just a rock sticking out of the water, but that was enough for Luffy. Given his eagerness, the others let Luffy try to aim the cannon. Abel could tell just by looking that his shot would be short, but she decided it was best to let him try on his own first. After watching Abel demonstrate how to properly load a cannon, everyone stood back and Luffy pulled the cord. As expected the shot missed the rock by a very wide margin. "That was way off the mark!" Luffy bemoaned.

"Hey, what's so loud down there?" Zoro asked, peering down from the galley. The explosion must've finally woken him.

"Cannon practice," Luffy answered before frowning. "But it's not going very well."

Usopp stepped up. "Like I said, let the expert aim the thing."

"Okay." Luffy glanced over his shoulder and asked, "Abel, do you wanna try?"

Abel gave a short bark of laughter as Usopp sputtered in indignation. "I meant me!" he shouted, plowing over to the cannon. Luffy and Abel watched as Usopp began muttering to himself, making calculations in his mind before turning the crank to adjust the cannon's angle a bit higher. "Judging by the flying distance of the last one... this should do it." Usopp pulled the cord, and a second later the rock exploded.

"Excellent shot, Usopp," Abel complimented.

Luffy turned to Usopp in awe. "Whoa, awesome! You hit that thing on the first try!"

For some reason, even Usopp looked surprised at how easily he'd hit his mark. "Whoa, I did..." But he recovered quickly, preening like a peacock. "What do you think? I'm pretty magnificent when it comes to aiming. So are you impressed yet?"

Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, you better believe it. So it's all settled; you'll be our sniper."

"Wait! I don't get to be captain!?"

"No!" Luffy protested. "I'm still the captain!"

Usopp continued to protest the idea, even after the crew made their way into the galley. Of course, Luffy wasn't about to give up his own title. When proclaiming his own merits didn't work, Usopp tried a different tactic. "But I'd hate to steal a position from Abel," he tried to reason.

The woman in question just smiled. "I'm more than happy to leave the cannoneering to you, Usopp," Abel admitted, secretly enjoying the way he kept squirming. "I may be able to use heavy weaponry, but I prefer firearms that aren't quite so unwieldy. Besides, I believe Luffy originally recruited me as to be the ship's monster expert."

"So I guess that makes you the ship's tactician?" Zoro asked. For some reason he'd chosen to sit against the wall next to the table rather than at the table itself.

Abel pondered that for a moment. "I guess I have been filling that role unintentionally, haven't I?" It didn't really matter to her what title she was given, so long as she was a member of the crew. She'd still do what it was that came naturally to her. Besides, even though they now had two sharpshooters, Usopp and Abel's techniques were completely different. Sort of like how Luffy and Zoro were both bruisers, but in different ways.

Finally, Usopp relented with a sigh. "Whatever... I'll humor you for now," he said, with great reluctance. "But, the second you do something cowardly, I'm taking your post."

"Fine with me," Luffy readily agreed, knowing that that wasn't going to be happening any time soon. But that brought another thought to mind. "Listen, I've been thinking! There's still one position we need to fill before we reach the Grand Line." For once it sounded like Luffy was on to something.

"This galley has all the equipment. I'll hire someone if I have the money," Nami agreed. Abel just nodded in agreement, ready to be rid of the responsibility.

"Good. That skill's essential on a long voyage," Zoro added.

"Then it's agreed!" Luffy laughed, glad the others were on board. "A pirate ship must have a musician!" So much for thinking Luffy might finally have a good idea.

"Are you nuts?" Usopp snapped.

Nami shook her head. "I thought you were going to say something smart for once!"

"This is piracy, not a pleasure cruise!" Zoro growled.

Luffy looked rather owl-faced. "What? Shouldn't pirates have some kind of entertainment?"

"It's not so much about being entertained as it is your instance that music should come before a role that could actually save our lives," Abel argued. No one said Luffy couldn't get a musician, but there were others duties to fill first.

"COME OUT AND FIGHT, DOGS! I'LL MURDER THE LOT OF YOU!" a very angry voice shouted from outside, followed by the sound of barrels being rudely kicked over.

Everyone jumped at the unexpected intruder. They hadn't seen any other ships in the area, so no one was on watch. Being closest to the door, Abel was the first out, with Luffy right behind her. A man stood on the main deck. He appeared to be in his twenties, with a rough look about him. He had shaggy, short black hair, tanned skin and a black tattoo of the kanji for "sea" on his left cheek. He wore a baggy light blue jacket, cream pants, a dark purple shirt, black boots and sunglasses with a band around the back of his head holding them in place. But more importantly, he carried a large blade that got thicker at the end than at the base.

"Hey! Who are you?" Luffy demanded.

Even behind the shades, Abel could tell the man glared at them. "It's none of your business who I am!" he shouted, radiating anger.

"Actually, as you're the one who's trespassing and vandalizing our ship, I'm pretty sure it is our business," Abel retorted smartly.

This just set the man off even more, and he lunged at them. Luffy leapt over Abel's head while Abel pressed herself back against the galley's wall to avoid being cut. The man tore a large chunk of the banister off. When Luffy landed behind him, the man spun around and growled, "I've claimed the bounty on the world's most infamous pirates. How dare you nobodies try to kill my partner!" He ran at Luffy, sword held high.

"Partner?" Abel repeated, lost. "I'm pretty sure we haven't tried to kill anyone today." Up until this jerk showed up it'd been very peaceful.

Luffy scowled. "I don't know what you're talking about." Luffy somersaulted over the guy's head as he tried to slice him in half. While above him, Luffy grabbed his head and pulled him backwards. "But stop... destroying my ship!" Luffy flung the man forward, slamming him against the storage room wall.

The man gasped before slumping to the deck. "... a hair's breadth from death..." he mumbled.

Collecting his hat from where it'd fallen off, Luffy looked quizzically at the man and grumbled, "What the heck was all that about?" What was all that talk about attacking his friend?

Abel moved out of the way when she heard the door open behind her. Zoro stepped outside and stared at the man in surprise. "Well I'll be... it's Johnny!" he said, for some reason recognizing the man sprawled on the deck.

The man gazed up in a daze before finding Zoro's face. With a gasp, he was up like a shot. "Big Bro Zoro!" he exclaimed.

Completely ignoring the confused looks of the rest of his crew, Zoro asked the man (now identified as Johnny), "What's going on? Where's Yosaku?"

"He..." Johnny seemed to choke on the words. "Yosaku is... dying!" Zoro paled upon hearing this.

Completely lost, Abel watched in silence as Johnny led Zoro to the side of the ship. Johnny must've tied his boat to the Going Merry. Between the two men, they were able to carefully pull a very sick man up to the deck. By that point, Usopp had come out to see what all the fuss was about. Johnny kneeled next to his friend's head, holding his head, clearly distraught at his friend's state. "He was fit as a fiddle until a few days ago... then he went pale and started passing out! I don't know what's wrong! His teeth are falling out, and he's bleeding from old scars. I didn't know what to do, so I went to get some rest and think on that rock. Then one of you shot a cannonball at me!"

Usopp and Luffy's jaws hit the ground, realizing that they'd accidentally fired on the men. "Forgive us!" they pleaded, bowing deeply in apology.

Johnny shook his head. "That's history. Forget it. What good are apologizes anyway?" Luffy and Usopp looked even more mortified.

"Our reputation has grown. Pirates fear the names of Johnny and Yosaku. He's my trusted partner... we've hunted pirates together for years! My brother's gonna..." Johnny turned tearful eyes up to Zoro. "Is he gonna die, Big Bro?"

Zoro looked physically upset to see someone who had clearly once been a companion so sick. Based on what Johnny said, the two probably traveled with him when he was a pirate hunter. As Abel approached, Zoro's dark gray eyes beseeched her. "Your dad was a doctor, right? Can you do something?" Surely Abel would've picked up some medical knowledge from her dad.

How could she say no to a face like that? Abel knelt on the opposite side of Yosaku and examined the man. The man had a shaved head with a red head guard. He wore a long green coat, black shirt, yellow checkered pants that showed off his hairy legs and brown boots. Abel scanned the man from head to tie, trying to synthesize all of his symptoms. _His skin has an unhealthy pallor... Eyes sunken in... teeth falling out..._ Abel placed the back of her hand to his forehead. _He's not running a fever, so the culprit can't be a disease or infection._ She carefully pulled back the bandages around his stomach. _This wound looks weeks old, yet it's still bleeding. His blood isn't clotting._ Abel had a good idea of what this was, but there was one last thing to check. Opening Yosaku's mouth, Abel observed the state of his gums. _His gums have recessed... that's why his teeth are falling out_. Abel was certain she knew what this was now. "Luffy, Usopp," she called, and the two boys stood at attention. "Get some limes from storage, squeeze the juice into a bowl and make him drink it." The boys rushed off to follow her orders.

They ran past Nami, who'd come out and overheard the conversation. "Limes? Then it's Scurvy?" she asked.

Abel nodded. "We used to see this a lot from traveling sailors. Scurvy's the result of a deficiency in Vitamin C, which is found in fruits and vegetables. Sailors are the most at risk for this, because plants don't keep well on long journeys. Fortunately..." She gave Zoro and Johnny a reassuring smile. "It's an easily treatable condition. With the proper nutrition, he should recover completely in a few days."

"Really, Big Sis!?" Johnny exclaimed, relieved that his friend didn't have to die.

"Your friend's lucky," Nami pointed out as they watched Luffy and Usopp practically shove a bucket of lime juice down Yosaku's throat. "In the past, Scurvy was a death sentence. But now most ships are able to properly store fruits and vegetables on board."

It would seem that Yosaku's recovery was faster than any of them anticipated, because within seconds of ingesting the juice, he was on his feet, dancing around. "Saved by lime juice!" he cheered.

Johnny joined him in his celebrating. "Good job, brother!"

"You're not well enough to dance!" Nami snapped.

Setting such trivial matters aside, Johnny and Yosaku stopped dancing long enough to introduce themselves. "I'm Johnny!"

"And I'm Yosaku. We're Big Bro Zoro's old bounty hunting partners! Pleased to meet you!" Yosaku bowed to the crew. "I don't know how to thank all of you. I was sure I was a goner."

Johnny crossed his arms, considering his old partner. "I still can't believe it. Pirate Hunter Zoro is a pirate!"

But before Zoro could respond, Yosaku collapsed to the deck, bleeding from the nose again. "Yosaku, buddy!"

"Lie down and rest!" Zoro snapped. Of course the idiot didn't heal that fast. He'd been on death's door, for godsake.

"Get him to the storage room," Abel advised. "He can rest there." With a flurry of thanks again, Johnny carried Yosaku away with Luffy and Usopp's help.

As Abel bent to retrieve the bucket, a large hand resting on her shoulder stopped her short. The swordsman stared down at her seriously for a second before saying softly, "Thanks." Zoro truly was grateful that Abel'd saved his friend's life, even if it was such a simple solution.

Abel just blinked, Zoro's sincerity robbing her of her usual wit. "... sure," was all she could manage. Nodding, Zoro walked past her to check on his old teammates. As the door closed behind her, Abel could only stare at her shoulder. Why had she never noticed before how warm Zoro's skin was?

* * *

After Yosaku was safely tucked away, the crew reconvened outside. "This is a good lesson," Nami commented. Yosaku was a very poignant warning about the dangers of the sea.

"A long voyage on the high seas is fraught with hidden dangers," Zoro agreed. You could die from more than just an enemy attack out here. The sea was heartless.

"Those guys would be dead if we hadn't come along," Usopp added.

Abel hummed in thought. "That's why we need to recruit someone with real chef's training. I may be able to make edible food, but we need someone who knows how to get the most out of our ingredients so we stay healthy. It's better to prevent illness than to treat it."

"Okay! We'll look for a sea cook!" Luffy suddenly declared. "What good is a ship without decent grub?" Hallelujah! Luffy finally responded to reason, albeit in a roundabout way.

"Big Bro!" Johnny interrupted, holding his hand up like an eager student.

"Speak, Johnny," Zoro asked.

Johnny grinned. "If you need a cook, I know where to find one." He had everyone's attention now. "But..." he warned. "Whether he'll join with you is another matter. It's the floating restaurant, the Baratie."

"A floating restaurant?"

Johnny nodded. "It's two or three days sailing from here. But be careful. It's near the Grand Line. Some rough customers frequent that place." Johnny leaned in and said to Zoro in a very conspiratorial way, "Big Bro, they say even that Hawk-Eye you were hunting goes there." Grinning wickedly at Zoro's eager expression, Johnny walked past him, announcing, "I'll guide you there, if you want."

Of course they readily agreed. "Yes, please!"

* * *

True to his word, it took them two days to reach the Baratie. "Here we are! The ocean-going restaurant!" Johnny announced, shouting so everyone aboard could hear. "Brother Zoro! Brother Luffy! Brother Usopp! Sister Abel! Sister Nami!"

As everyone gathered on deck to see, Abel couldn't help thinking how strange the ship looked. Despite the masts, it looked more like a house than a ship. There were three levels, tiered like a wedding cake. But the strangest part was that it had a fish's head and tail. It was little hard to take the ship seriously. But maybe the idea was to appear as unthreatening as possible so no one would attack the ship by mistake.

"What do you think?" the hunters asked, motioning to the ship with a grand flourish.

The younger members gaped in wonder. "What a huge fish!" Luffy cried in delight.

"It's cool!" Usopp shouted, equally as thrilled.

But before they could get too excited, another ship pulled up beside them. But not just any ship. A Marine ship. "Where'd it come from?" Luffy gasped. You wouldn't think a ship could sneak up out of nowhere. Maybe it was the blue paint...

Usopp audibly gulped. "I hope they don't blast us," he whimpered.

"Perhaps they're just here to eat as well," Abel reasoned. This was a restaurant, after all. And she didn't recall them doing anything recently to have the Marines chase them. While keeping a cautious eye on the ship, Abel noticed Johnny and Yosaku hiding. They must not have wanted to be labeled as pirates.

Taking its own sweet time, a figure appeared on the deck. It was a man. Based on his pinstripe suit, he must've been a ranked officer. He had baby pink hair parted in the middle, tanned skin, and a scar on his right cheek. But most noticeably, he appeared to have a large strip of metal actually screwed in to his fist. Four massive screws stuck out of his knuckles. _Is there some practical purpose for that, or is it just for show?_ Abel wondered. You could never tell with men. Sometimes they'd do things just because they thought it made them look badder.

The man gave the crew an assessing look, and apparently was not impressed. "Pirates... unknowns..." Even his voice held a haughty air. The man drew himself up, trying to look imposing. "I'm Lieutenant Ironfist Fullbody, minister of the Navy. Who's the captain? Speak your name."

Luffy stepped forward. "Monkey D. Luffy."

"I'm Usopp," the sniper interjected, still not willing to give up his dream of being captain.

Casting the other boy an annoyed look, Luffy continued, "We just made our pirate flag a few days ago." Behind him, Johnny and Yosaku guffawed at how amateurish the crew really was.

Fullbody scanned the crew, likely assessing their threat level. As his posture didn't change, he must not have thought much of them. But as they weren't here looking for a fight, that suited Abel just fine. Then his gaze turned to the hunters. He raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. You two scalawags look familiar. You visit the government agencies a lot." He thought about where he'd seen them before, before it hit him. "You're those two-bit bounty hunters, Yosaku and Johnny." He snorted. "Captures by pirates, eh?"

"Yosaku, this bloke may have insulted us," Johnny drawled, trying to look cool (a bit late when you were just cowered in fear, Abel thought).

Yosaku gripped his cigarette tighter. "Two-bit? He can't call us that. It's a matter of honor. Let's make Mr. Navy Fancy-pants revise his view of us."

Both men drew their swords, preparing to attack. "Brace yourself, you Navy popinjay!"

Unfortunately, the fight between the three was ridiculously short. If you would've blinked you would have missed it. Before Abel knew it, the two men were sprawled out on the deck, bleeding from the face. "A hair's breadth from death..." they mumbled, trying to play it off like they hadn't just gotten whipped.

"What are you doing?" Zoro asked. It seemed painfully obvious that Zoro had been the skill of the team before.

"Are you guys weak or what?" Luffy said curtly.

"N-no... he's really tough," Yosaku muttered.

"We almost got him," Johnny grumbled.

Abel peered down at them. "I would appreciate if you wouldn't undo all the help we gave in recovering your health." Their getting beat up undid the crew's generosity. It was rather disrespectful, when you thought about it.

"S-sorry..." Yosaku stuttered.

Before Fullbody could cause more trouble, a feminine voice interrupted. "Fullbody, quit picking on those sissies, and let's go." A woman appeared, tugging at Fullbody's air. Based on her hair done up in a sexy bun and the tight red dress, it was clear she was here for recreational purposes. Wasn't that against some sort of regulation?

Fullbody relented. But not before giving the crew one last warning, "It's your lucky day, pirate scum. It's my day off. I've come to dine. But beware. When we meet again, you're dead."

Nami drew Abel's attention when she knelt next to Johnny. "What's this, Johnny?" she asked, shuffling through the papers that had fallen from his coat.

"Ugh... wanted posters..." Johnny replied as Nami studied one of the pages. Over her shoulder, Abel could see the faces of various wanted people, all with differing rewards for their capture. The ones with x's on them must've been outlaws the duo had turned in. "Pirates and bounties, Sister Nami. An ugly business... I get a bounty for every one I kill."

Abel watched as Nami crumpled one of the pages up. She could see the tense lines in Nami's back. "Problem, Nami?" she asked lowly.

Nami visibly jumped. "Huh?" She blinked up at Abel, honestly looking like she'd forgotten where she was. "What?"

Before Abel could press the matter, Usopp started shouting, "This is bad! They're aiming a cannon at us!"

Everyone jumped. "What!?" Zoro gasped. So much for letting them go.

"Sink it," Fullbody ordered, and the Marines were quick to obey, firing a shot at them.

Usopp let out a scream. "They fired of us!"

Luffy rushed past all of them, leaping onto the banister. "I'll handle it!" he cried, taking a deep breath. "Gum-Gum Balloon!" His body inflated just in time to act like an airbag, catching the cannonball. Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku all screamed as they saw that technique for the first time. "Here's your cannonball!" Luffy yelled, bouncing the cannonball back.

Unfortunately, instead of sending the cannonball back to the Marine ship, he sent it to the restaurant. The cannonball struck the top floor, creating an explosion that sent chunks of wood flying. Abel clapped her hands sardonically. "Well done, Boss. It's reassuring to see that your aim is as bad as ever." Luffy seemed paralyzed in shock as he collapsed to the deck while everyone just gaped.

"We've got no choice now..." Nami sighed in aggravation.

The Going Merry and the Marine ship docked at the Baratie at the same time. Almost as soon as they did, two angry chefs came barreling out the side doors. "Which one of you idiots is responsible for this damage!?" one demanded.

Hoping to keep them out of trouble (and debt) Nami began, "Well, you see-"

"I'm so sorry!" Luffy interrupted, literally throwing himself at the chefs' feet.

"Luffy!" Nami protested. "Don't tell them that!" If it was anyone's fault, it was the stupid Marine. If he hadn't opened fire on them, Luffy's accident never would've happened. Why did Luffy have to be so honest?

The two chefs sneered at the groveling boy. "You'd better talk to the owner, then." Grabbing Luffy by the back of his shirt, they dragged him into the restaurant. Fullbody entered soon after with his date, but not before casting one final, triumphant sneer in their direction. Prick.

"What do we do now?" Usopp asked, unsurely.

"I guess we wait," Zoro replied, already sitting down.

The crew waited for Luffy to return with news of how they'd have to repay the owner for the damages, but it was taking a lot longer than expected. Abel hoped it wasn't an insane amount. Just at a glance, it appeared that the damage had been isolated to just some structural damage. Of course, it wasn't like the crew had a lot of money to begin with. What little treasure they'd obtained from other pirates was guarded jealously by Nami.

_Now that I think about it, how much money do I have on my person?_ Abel wondered. She'd taken everything she owned when she left home, but that hadn't involved a lot of cash. Any money she made from helping her dad at the clinic went to the family as a whole, and it didn't feel right taking money from the town for her expertise when everything was already going to fix the repairs. _I hope hunting monsters in the Grand Line is a bit more lucrative_.

Abel wasn't sure how much time had passed during her internal ramblings, but it must've been enough for the crew to grow impatient. "Luffy's been gone a long time," Zoro noted. "Maybe they're making him wash dishes for a month." Usually when people didn't have money, they paid their debt with manual labor.

Abel couldn't suppress a snort at the idea. "Maybe his plan is to cause so much trouble they'll force him to leave." She could only imagine the kind of trouble Luffy would get into working in a kitchen.

"That honest fool. He should've blamed the Marine ship." Nami griped.

"Wanna check on him?" Usopp suggested. "And eat?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Zoro stated, climbing to his feet.

The crew disembarked from the ship, heading for the restaurant's entrance. But before they reached the door, the unmistakable sound of tables and dishes breaking violently brought them to a halt. Everyone exchanged a glance, praying Luffy wasn't causing even more trouble. With a hand on his swords, Zoro pushed the doors open.

The scene that greeted them was not at all what they expected. Instead of seeing Luffy creating some sort of havoc, it was someone else raising hell. The fact that the Marine from before, Fullbody, was involved wasn't that big of a surprise. But what was a surprise was seeing him dangling, limp and bloody, in the hands of a skinny blond man. The blond in question was very tall, probably the same height as Zoro, with short hair that parted to cover the left side of his face, dark blue eyes and an eyebrow that ended in a curl. Abel also noted that he had a bit of stubble on his chin. He looked like some sort of maître d, dressed in a black suit with gold buttons, a blue pinstriped dress shirt and black tie.

However, despite not looking that tough, the man radiated fury. He glared at the bleeding Marine, puffing angrily on a cigarette. "To offend a cook at sea is a fool's mistake. Remember that." The man's glare alone could probably kill someone. "And food must _never_ be wasted."

"How nice," Abel drawled pleasantly, crossing her arms as she watched the scene unfold. "Dinner and a show." She probably should've been more disturbed by this, but just based on their brief exchange outside, the Marine probably deserved it.

Another chef approached the crew, wringing his hands nervously. "Please excuse the commotion," he began. "Why don't I show you to a table?"

Undeterred by the violence as they were, the crew followed as he led them to a large table. "Isn't this usually the waiter's job?" Usopp asked. Based on the uniform, the man was clearly a chef, which made it odd that he'd be waiting tables. Usopp blinked, suddenly realizing something. "Come to think of it, where are the waiters?"

The chef ducked his head. "They all jumped ship a few days ago..."

"I can't imagine why," Abel said as she took a seat. "This seems like such an engaging environment to work in." She watched as another chef came up and started arguing with the blond about his treatment of the customers. The newcomer looked like he's fallen off a pirate ship. He had comically large forearms and skinny legs, making it look like he shouldn't be able to support his upper body.

The chef handed out the menus while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "S-someone will be with you to take your orders in a minute." He practically scampered off.

As she perused the menu, Abel kept her ears tuned to the argument. "Customers are the life's blood of a restaurant!" the larger man was yelling. "So why's his life's blood dripping out of him!? Explain yourself!"

The sound of a heavy, wet thud told Abel without looking that Blondie had dropped the Lieutenant. "Customer?" Blondie scoffed. His voice had a slightly raspy quality, the tell-tale sign of a smoker. He spoke coldly to the other man, "This lowlife wasted precious food and he insulted our cooks! So I learned him some etiquette."

The coughing sputter had to be from the Lieutenant. "This place stinks!" he managed. "The food's full of bugs... and the service leaves a lot to be desired. I'll close you down! I'll inform the authorities! A restaurant should-"

"Close us down?" Abel could feel the stare Blondie leveled on the Lieutenant. "Not if I close you down first."

"What!? What!?"

"Don't do it, Sanji!" someone else shouted as more chefs appeared to hold the raving man back from likely killing the Marine.

"Now I'm really mad!" Blondie shouted as he thrashed against the chefs, all the while ignoring their attempts to calm him. "I can't stand ignorant snobs like him! I'll get you, big shot!" Abel chuckled when she heard the Lieutenant let out a fearful squeak.

"What are you gonna get, Abel?" Nami asked, leaning closer to the other woman to be heard over the shouting.

Abel looked up at her. "The grilled shrimp and rice pilaf sounds appetizing," she commented. In fact, everything on the menu looked good. Despite the somewhat... rough service, the food was five-star. _It would have to be to attract customers if this is an everyday occurrence_, Abel thought. Johnny hadn't been kidding when he said there were some rough customers.

A teeth-rattling crash made everyone in the dining room jump. Abel's head finally snapped up from the menu in time to see two figures literally fall through the ceiling. The first was an older gentleman with a hooked nose, blond beard and a braided mustache that stuck out to the sides like cat whiskers. If the size of one's hat was any indication to go by, then the man's massive toque must've meant he was the head chef. Seriously, how did he fit through a doorway? But his most striking feature was the wooden peg replacing his right leg.

The second person that fell through the roof really shouldn't have been a surprise. "Is that Luffy?" Usopp asked.

Even more chefs appeared in all the chaos. "Chef! What are you doing!?" one of them asked the older man.

But he ignored them, instead focusing on the large hole they'd made in the ceiling. "Curses!" he grumbled. "Look at that ceiling! That's your fault, brat!" he yelled at Luffy.

"You jumped on me too hard!" Luffy snapped back.

_Jumped on him? Since when is jumping on someone part of negotiations? What the hell kind of deal with Luffy trying to work out with the owner?_ Did Abel want to know?

"Chef! You gotta stop Sanji!" one of the men struggling to hold Blondie back pleaded. In all the commotion, Blondie hadn't stopped trying to get at the Lieutenant, who was stupidly just staring in horror at the raving blond.

The old man stood and clomped over the Sanji, his wooden leg clacking loudly on the polished floor. "Sanji! Attacking the clientele again!?" He sounded a bit too calm about the whole thing.

Sanji seemed to calm a bit, but didn't stop trying to get out from the other chefs' grip. "Zip it, shitty geezer."

"He sure is! And this one's a Lieutenant in the Navy!"

The owner's wooden leg whipped out, striking Sanji across the jaw. "Do you want to ruin me!?" the old man yelled as Sanji hit the ground. But before the Marine could thank him, he received the same treatment. "You get out of here, too!" the owner yelled, sending Fullbody skidding face-first across the floor. Not too shabby for an old man with one good leg.

The large man from before sneered at Sanji as he picked himself up, dusting his trousers off like it was nothing. Like this happened all the day (which Abel would totally buy). "The customer is king, got dat!?"

Sanji just took a long drag from his cigarette. "Only if they're willing to eat your slop," he retorted coolly, his anger having vanished as quickly as it came.

"Patty! Sanji! If you're gonna fight, do it in the kitchen!" the owner growled.

As if things weren't chaotic enough, the doors the restaurant flew open and an injured Marine hobbled in. "Lieutenant Fullbody! It's... it's terrible!" Fullbody looked over his shoulder at the distraught Marine. He'd definitely taken a beating. "Sorry, sir! He got away from the ship's brig!"

"So now there's an escaped prisoner?" Nami wondered aloud. "This place really is a madhouse."

Zoro smirked. "Luffy'll fit right in."

"That pirate of Krieg's escaped! We wanted to question him, but he beat up seven of us and got away!"

"Impossible!" Fullbody shouted in disbelief. "When we captured him three days ago, he was half dead from starvation, and we haven't fed him!"

_Maybe the thought of food motivated him to escape. It would work on Luffy_, Abel pondered.

Around the room, people started panicking. Only now. Never mind the fighting, yelling and people falling through the ceiling. This was the news that set them off. "Krieg! Krieg's Pirates!?"

"They're they toughest pirates in the eastern seas!"

"Forgive me, sir-" A bang went off, and the Marine collapsed to the floor, a bullet exiting through his chest.

The crowd cowered at the shadowed figure behind him. The room became deathly quiet as everyone waited tensely to see what this pirate would do. As he walked into the room, Abel saw Zoro's hands go for his swords out of the corner of her eye. Always ready for a good fight. But the man didn't seem interested in fighting. He even walked past the Lieutenant without so much a glance in his direction. He found an empty table and slumped into the seat, stretching one leg up to rest of the table. "Bring me food. Anything..." he ordered, his voice low and raspy. When no one jumped to obey, he raised his head. "This is a mess joint, ain't it?" The man looked like death warmed over. Blood and sweat covered his face, his messy black hair could use a wash, his chin covered in stubble, his eyes sunken in with dark bags underneath. Somehow his tanned skin looked sallow. His gray jacket and pants were tattered.

Undaunted, the large man, Patty joined him at the table, giving a practiced but entirely fake smile. "Welcome, squid-face," he greeted. Around him, people gasped that he'd treat someone who just shot a Marine so casually.

But the pirate didn't seem to care. Impatiently, he said, "I'm only saying this once more, so listen. I'm a customer. Bring me food!"

"Pardon, mon-sewer, but can you pay?"

The pirate pressed the barrel of is pistol against Patty's forehead. "You take lead?"

Patty, for his part, looked completely nonplussed about having a gun in his face. "You don't got money?" And before the man could react, Patty slammed both of his oversized fists into his head, shattering the chair underneath him. Scowling at the pirate trying to stand among the broken furniture, Patty crossed his arms and growled, "If you can't pay, you ain't a customer!" The room erupted into cheers at the cook's actions.

The pirate folded in on himself as his stomach let out a rumble so loud it made Abel's stomach wince in sympathy pains. "Hey chef, his stomach's growling!" someone shouted, although Abel couldn't tell if it was intended to mock or sympathize.

The pirate, trying to save face, raised his head and smirked weakly. "Idiot... that was a fart. Just gimme a little food, eh?" He was clearly trying to look tougher than he was at the moment.

"You're no customer! So get lost! Customers are a restaurant's life's blood! I wouldn't give yesterday's rice to a penniless sea wolf like you!" In a display of unnecessary brutality, in Abel's opinion, Patty kept kicking the pirate in the stomach. Abel found this completely uncalled for. What was the point of beating a man when he was down? It was painfully obvious that he didn't have the strength to fight back. Of hand, Abel noticed both Sanji and Fullbody leave the room. Fullbody obviously wanted to get out before he got hit again. But Sanji had gone into what Abel assumed was kitchen, just based on the glimpse she caught when the door swung shut. And he'd had a very tense expression on his face.

When the pirate finally stopped moving, Patty curtsied to the cheering customers. "Dear customers! Please! Enjoy your meals!" He hefted the pirate on his shoulder and carried him out like a sack of trash, most likely to literally toss him out.

"Well, that was exciting," Zoro muttered. "Johnny wasn't kidding when he said this place was dangerous."

"This close to the Grand Line, they probably have pirates in here all the time," Nami reasoned. "It's not surprising the staff knows how to handle them."

With everything calmed down, someone finally came to take their order. They decided on a wide sample of foods to share between them. Some miso soup, lobster, oysters, shrimp. A nice variety of seafood. Before the chef left with their orders, Abel grabbed the man's attention. "Pardon, but have you seen a clumsy boy wearing a straw hat about?"

"You mean the new chore boy?" the chef asked.

Usopp raised a brow. "Chore boy?"

The chef scowled slightly. "Yeah. The fool blasted a huge hole in our roof, so Chef Zeff's making him work here for a year to pay for the damages." He eyed the quartet. "You friends of his?"

"No way," Nami answered quickly, waving a hand dismissively at the thought. "We were just being nosy. We saw him with the owner earlier and were just curious." The man looked suspicious, but didn't press the matter and left for the kitchen.

"Trying to distance yourself so you don't get shanghaied into helping Luffy pay off his debt?" Abel cleverly asked.

Nami smiled innocently. "It's his own fault. He should accept responsibility."

"But what are we gonna do?" Usopp asked, a concerned expression on his face. "We can't just set sail without Luffy."

"We'll just have to wait and see," Zoro answered, cross his arms. "Luffy's too honest to skip out on a debt."

"I'm sure a solution will present itself soon," Abel reassured. "Luffy has a knack for being at the wrong place at the right time." The others couldn't argue with that. It was just a question of what sort of catastrophe would befall this restaurant that Luffy would have to selflessly help with.

Thankfully, it didn't take nearly as long to get the food as it did to order it. The crew dug in while chatting about random things. After garnishing some raw oysters with hot sauce, Abel asked, "Who's this Krieg gentleman everyone was petrified of earlier?" She didn't know a lot of pirate names except for the most famous.

"Don Krieg," Nami practically spat out. "He's captain of the Krieg Pirates, said to be the largest and most fearsome pirate crew in the East Blue. He has a fleet of ships at his command. The Pirate Armada."

Usopp shuttered, his tea cup chattering loudly. "I really hope Krieg doesn't come here looking for that guy."

"He's probably a deserter or something," Zoro mumbled around a chunk of lobster tail. "The Marines would never have been able to arrest him if he'd been with the rest of the fleet."

Nami shrugged, cutting up her fish fillet. "Who knows? No one's heard from Krieg's Pirates in months." Abel hummed as she digested this, popping an oyster in her mouth, savoring the spice of the hot sauce.

Nami's eyes suddenly lit up at something over Abel's shoulder. "Hi, chore boy!"

Abel turned to see Luffy walking over to them with a surprised look on his face. "You guys!" he gasped, looking like they'd just betrayed him.

Abel grinned. "An apron looks good on you, Boss," she teased.

"So you gotta work for a year," Usopp chuckled.

"Can we change the ship's flag?" Zoro asked.

Luffy fumed. "You're eating without me!? I'm slaving and you're eating out!?" he yelled. "That's mean!"

"Why shouldn't we enjoy a nice meal?" Zoro asked rhetorically, looking away. While he did, Luffy picked his nose and flicked it into Zoro's water glass for revenge. The others saw this, but Nami and Usopp tried to contain their snickers as they watched the scene go down. Abel, however, couldn't just let Zoro drink it. That was disgusting. But as she opened her mouth to warn him, Zoro turned and gave her a discreet wink. Abel blinked, before a small smile cross her lips as she realized Zoro wasn't as oblivious as he seemed. So she kept quiet, folding her hands on the table to see what devious plot the swordsman had in mind.

Slowly, teasingly slowly, Zoro picked up his water glass and brought it up to his face. But he didn't drink it. Feigning ignorance, Zoro said, "The food's not bad here. But I do feel bad for you..." Glass in hand, Zoro lunged at Luffy. He practically shoved the water down Luffy's throat, all the while shouting, "You drink it!"

When Zoro let him go, Luffy fell on the floor, writhing like he'd just been fed some poison. "What'd you do that for!?" he choked.

Zoro glared down at him. "What did you do that for!?"

Usopp and Nami were dying with laughter, slapping their hands on the table. Meanwhile, Abel just watched her captain rolling on the floor with amusement. Such refined friends she had. But she had to admit it was pretty funny, especially Luffy's reaction. Of course, they were attracting more than a little attention from the other patrons. _How can we make a bigger scene?_ Abel wondered.

Turns out the answer came from an outside source, as the blond man from before, Sanji, came bursting into their little bubble declaring, "O sea, how grateful I am for this day of days!" Abel stared at the man with wide eyes as he flung his arms around dramatically, practically singing. "O love! Smile upon me, for I cannot survive this pain. I would stoop to becoming a pirate, or even a devil, if only I could be with you. Such tragedy! The obstacles between us are great!" It wasn't until Abel saw him leveling heart-shaped eyes at her and Nami, practically drooling all over himself, that she realized he was actually trying to woo them and not having some demonic fit. Abel... wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Before either woman had time to come up with a proper response, a grizzled voice interrupted, "Obstacles, Sanji?"

"Old man!?" Sanji gasped at seeing the owner standing behind him, leveling him with a cool look.

Giving the blond a cold, assessing look, the owner stated, "Follow your heart. Go be a pirate. I don't need you here anymore."

Sanji spun around on his heel. "Hey, you damn geezer," he growled, teeth biting into his cigarette. "I'm the assistant head chef of this place. So just what do you mean exactly when you say that I'm not needed!?"

The owner, whom Abel assumed was the "Chef Zeff" the waiter had referred to other, sneered. "You cause too much trouble with the guests, and if they happen to be female, you drool all over them. You also can't cook a decent meal to save your life. You're just unnecessary baggage, holding this restaurant down. And as you probably know, none of the other cooks want you here as well. So whether it be a pirate or something else, it's just better for you to get the hell out of my shop."

Sanji sucked in his breath before stomping up the Zeff and grabbing his collar. "So that's what you wanted to say to me all along, you damn geezer!?" He put his face right into Zeff's. "Ignoring all your other comments, if there's one thing I won't stand for, it's someone insulting my cooking! No matter what you say, I'm staying here! Got that!?"

But as the old man had already proven, he was no pushover. "How dare you grab the collar of the head chef!" He grabbed Sanji's offending hand and slammed Sanji into the crew's table. Fortunately, they were able to move the food before it went to waste.

Zeff sneered at Sanji as he sat up, and turned to leave without another word. But Sanji apparently wasn't having that. "You can try to chase me out all you want! But I'll continue to be a cook here, you hear!? Until the day you die, at the very least!"

Zeff didn't even look back as he retorted coolly, "I ain't dyin'. I'll live for another hundred years."

"Pretty mouthy for a damn geezer, aren't you?" Sanji growled.

Ignoring the argument that just went down, Luffy slapped a friendly hand on Sanji's shoulder. "All right! He gave you permission. Now you can join my crew!" Abel couldn't say she was surprised that Luffy'd already tried to recruit someone.

"As if!" Sanji snarled. He blinked when he realized the rest of the crew was still watching him. Trying to save face, Sanji straightened his tie and flipped the table upright.

Abel placed the plates back on the table, but was surprised when a colorful bowl of fruit appeared in front of her face, followed by a wine glass. Abel's eyes followed the long arm up to meet Sanji's face, where the man smiled charmingly. Off hand, she noticed that he'd given Nami a similar bowl. Where exactly had he gotten these things from? Were they hidden up his sleeve? Sanji then stole a wine bottle from the nearest table and began filling the women's glasses. "Forgive me for that ruckus, my dears," Sanji literally cooed, hovering a bit too close. "As an apology, please enjoy these fruit macedonias, and this Grand Mariner." Abel just stared. What this man for real?

Nami's face lit up with delight. "Oh! Thank you so much!" She beamed up at the blond. "You're so nice."

"Oh, it's nothing..." Sanji played it off suavely.

"Hey!" Usopp shouted in protest, upset about not getting any special treatment. "What about us? This is gender discrimination! I'll sue you, love-crazy cook!"

Like flicking a light switch, Sanji's attitude completely changed. He went from smooth and cool to scowling and angry. "I already gave you some tea," Sanji growled. "You could at least say a word of thanks for that, punk."

By this point the men were right in each other's face. "Wha!? You wanna start something, is that it!? I ain't gonna go easy on you! Get 'im, Zoro!"

"Get him yourself," Zoro drawled, more interested in Luffy trying to steal a bite of Nami's fruit bowl. He jerked in surprise as Abel placed her wine glass in front of him, while giving her fruit bowl to Luffy, who chowed down while mumbling a thank-you around mouthfuls of fruit. He watched in mild confusion as Abel looked away in disinterest. She actually looked... annoyed. At least Zoro thought it was annoyed. He'd never actually seen Abel annoyed by anything, so he couldn't be certain.

Meanwhile, the two men continued to argue about the service. "You haven't even cleared away my plates," Usopp chastised.

Sanji cast an uncaring glance down. "You still have mushrooms left. Finish it!"

"I left them on purpose because I hate mushrooms," Usopp argued. "I was poisoned by one when I was a kid."

Sanji shoved his face so close to Usopp's that Usopp's nose bent up. "Well this one ain't poisoned so eat up, long-nose!"

Hoping to defuse the situation (or perhaps get more free stuff) Nami feigned puppy dog eyes. "Please don't fight just because of me," she pleaded, voice thick as honey.

It had the desired results... at least for one half of the party. "Anything for you, miss!" Sanji readily agreed.

Usopp, however, was not so easily swayed. "Just who the hell's fighting for you!?" he snapped.

"By the way, Mr. Cook," Nami continued, gripping the sides of Sanji's face and pulling him closer. The man looked fit to burst. Using her sweetest voice, Nami said, "The food here's just a tad too expensive for me."

"Then it shall be free of charge to you, Miss!"

"Thank you so much!" Nami squealed, throwing her arms around the cook's neck. The man looked ready pass out now.

Abel watched the whole scene with mild disdain. _Does that come with a side of penicillin?_ she thought nastily. Abel tried to keep her expression neutral, but inside... well, let's just say that if she had fur it would be bristling right about now.

Like a switch, Sanji pulled himself from Nami's grip and faced the guys. "You're paying though."

Zoro shook his head as Sanji traipsed off (much to Abel's relief). "You're a real witch, aren't ya..." he told Nami, referring to the way she'd had the fool wrapped around her finger.

Nami winked, swirling her wine glass. "You fellas better watch out too." But her smugness evaporated when they heard Sanji greet two new female customers just as enthusiastically as he'd dealt with her.

"Damn letch," Usopp muttered.

"Agreed," Abel added.

But the cook had to have been Bipolar or something, because a second later he was kicking Luffy in the head, making him snort tea up his nose. "Hey, errand boy! The hell are you sitting around and drinking tea for!?" Before Luffy could recover, Sanji dragged him off by his neck. "Bring out the hot towels when the customers come in."

"Yessir," Luffy mumbled as Sanji dragged him off.

_To be continued..._


	12. Zoro Overboard

**Thanks for all the reviews on the last few chapters. They really help motivate me. I'm actually posting this chapter from work. Make me work 12 hrs & I'm gonna do what I want to entertain myself.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: Strong Language & Violence**

* * *

Abel let the peace of the night drift over her as she sat on the deck of the Going Merry. It'd be easy to forget the chaos that had occurred just hours earlier. But now the customers were gone and the cooks were finishing the last of their chores. And with most of the crew already in bed, only the sounds of surf and wind kept Abel company. She leaned her head back against the railing, letting her eyes drift shut. She was certain that if she sat there long enough, she could fall asleep. With the Going Merry still anchored to the Baratie, they figured there was no need to keep a night watch.

Footsteps nearing the side of the ship pulled Abel's eyes opened, but based on the heavy sigh, she already knew who her soon-to-be visitor was. Sure enough, it wasn't long before her captain's head appeared over the railing. Luffy staggered slightly as he climbed aboard and blinked tiredly at Abel. Abel jumped slightly when Luffy practically collapsed in her lap, his body falling limp. She chuckled lightly. The poor boy could hardly keep his eyes open. Smiling fondly at the boy, Abel brushed his hair out of his face. "Hard day, Boss?" she asked quietly.

Abel should've felt bad when Luffy groaned in agreement, but it just amused her further. "Doing chores is hard!" Luffy groaned. His feet were killing him. They'd had him cleaning tables, taking out the trash... And all the while keeping him as far from all that delicious food as possible. It was like torture.

"They say hard work builds character," Abel said in an attempt to comfort him. But it was unnecessary, as the boy was already asleep.

Chuckling to herself, Abel stood, pulling Luffy with her. She leaned him against her shoulder and sort of dragged him over to the mast. Careful to keep him balanced against her, although as tired as he was he probably wouldn't have noticed if she did drop him, Abel opened the hatch that led to the men's quarters. After some consideration, Abel decided the easiest way to get them both inside was just to lower Luffy in first by his rubbery arm. He stretched gently to the floor, and Abel followed using the ladder. The mast ran through the center of the men's quarters, with rungs attached. The room was slightly larger than the women's, but had the same basic design. Five hammocks were suspended from the ceiling on one side of the room, but there were also three different couches scattered around, a table and a wardrobe. The room was also a lot noisier than the women's at night, between Luffy and Zoro snoring and Usopp muttering in his sleep. Even in his dreams he told tall tales.

Abel laid Luffy out on one of the couches nearest the mast, setting his hat on the table. She didn't really feel like trying to get Luffy in a hammock. Satisfied that everything was in its place, Abel climbed the mast and headed for her own hammock.

* * *

The next day continued in a similar fashion. The crew was allowed to stay docked to the restaurant because it meant the owner didn't have to worry about boarding Luffy. Poor Luffy didn't get to sleep long, because customers arrived early for breakfast. For being out next to the middle of nowhere, this place really was popular. Abel observed people coming and going, and it seemed like the dinning room was always full. Noting a few larger passenger ships, Abel wondered if the restaurant had some kind of deal with nearby islands to take customers back and forth. Not that she could blame them for flocking to the place; the food was fantastic.

Although they had a light breakfast on the ship courtesy of Abel, Nami insisted they eat lunch at the restaurant. Abel suspected that this was most likely due to her getting to eat for free. Unfortunately, the guys weren't so lucky, and the crew's overall funds wouldn't last long if they kept it up. They certainly wouldn't last for a year.

While waiting for their food, Abel caught glimpses of her captain working hard. They had Luffy bussing tables, piling up the dishes and taking them back to the kitchen. To his credit, Luffy appeared to be working hard and seemed to maintain his cheerful disposition. Abel felt a bit of pride at having such an honorable captain. Luffy could've easily just ran out on his debt, but he stuck around, working hard to pay back what he owed.

"Here you are." Abel tried not to flinch at the familiar smoker's rasp beside her. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Sanji placed their plates on the table. "I saw to you ladies' dishes personally, to ensure they were of the highest quality." While Usopp still fumed at the enormous difference in treatment, Zoro just ignored him, already digging into his food.

"It looks lovely," Nami cooed.

Sanji bowed in appreciation. As he straightened up, he began, "Forgive my manners, but by what name should I call such beauties?"

"Nami."

"Ah, such a wonderful name, befitting an ocean-going beauty such as yourself." Nami just smiled, more than happy to put up with the cook's flirting if it meant she got something out of it. Sanji turned to the other female in the crew. "And you would be...?" he asked the so far silent angel.

"Uninterested," Abel replied in the most deadpan voice she could manage, looking away from the cook. She hoped her tone and attitude would force the man to turn his attention elsewhere.

But her plan failed when Sanji merely chuckled at her tone, clearly unfazed. "I'm surprised there's a ship on the seas that could harbor the combined loveliness of you ladies. It's as if the sun and moon have fallen to earth to grace us mere mortals with your brilliance. Your beauty juxtaposes perfectly against each other. The one, a fiery tempest, vibrating with radiance. And the other, cold and untouchable, like a brilliant ice sculpture."

Zoro just watched the scene in mild confusion. Where the hell was he getting all this? Although he had to admit, it was slightly amusing to watch Abel's reactions. He could see her slowly getting colder and more closed off, probably to avoid going off on the man. He wondered what Abel was like when she was angry, and how long it would take before she put a few bolts through blondie.

Too bad for him, that time wasn't now, as the sound of Luffy breaking a plate instantly snapped Sanji's attention away from the women. "Chore boy! I told you to be more careful!" he snapped, stomping over to a very sheepish-looking rubber man. Abel mentally sighed in relief, thanking Luffy's convenient clumsiness. Maybe she'd get to eat her meal in peace after all.

* * *

Abel would never admit it, but she was in hiding. Where? And from whom? In her makeshift office in the armory deck, and from her crew. Or more specifically, from the poetry-spewing cook that always seemed to find an excuse to be at their table. The rest of the crew was eating dinner inside the restaurant. But Abel had made the excuse that she needed to finish calibrating her crossbows and had promptly barricaded herself in the armory. She just didn't think she could face the cook twice in one day. Even _her _patience had its limits. If anything, she could get a prize for maintaining her composure as long as she had.

Abel jumped when the door opened behind her. "So here you are."

"You were expecting someone else?" Abel retorted as Zoro entered, carrying something she couldn't make out in his hand. "What are you carrying?" she asked suspiciously. The man had a devilish grin on his face that told her he was up to something.

"A gift from your admirer," Zoro informed her with a bit too much glee, placing a plate full of food on her "desk."

Abel eyed the food. She was tempted not to eat it, not wanting to take something from the love-sick cook. But she was hungry. And for all of his glaring faults, the man was a skilled chef. If he really was making all the food she'd eaten since arriving at the restaurant, it was the best food she'd ever tasted. So she put her personal feelings aside and pulled the plate closer. But before she started, she gave Zoro a questioning look. "Did you need something else? Or were you just planning to enjoy the food vicariously by watching me eat?"

Zoro crossed his arms and leaned a hip against her desk, that same expression on his face. "Care to explain why you're hiding in here?"

"Who said anything about hiding?" Abel deflected. She motioned to her crossbows out on the crates with her fork. "I told you I needed to recalibrate my equipment."

If Zoro's grin got any wider it would've cut his jaw off. "You're hiding from that cook," he stated simply.

Abel scoffed. "And why would I do that? The cook's harmless."

"Because he's driving you crazy."

"There certainly is one man here that's driving me crazy..." she retorted smartly, casting a meaningful glance Zoro's way.

Ignoring the dig, Zoro tried a different approach. "I thought women liked sweet talk."

The longer the conversation continued, the more Abel could feel her ire rising. And before she could censor her thoughts, Abel spat, "Sweet talk and empty flattery are two different things."

Zoro was stunned by Abel's reaction. This was the first time he'd heard her lose her cool about anything. Even when taking something completely serious, she maintained a laissez-faire attitude.

Abel sighed heavily, suddenly feeling a lot older than twenty-two under Zoro's questioning gaze. "I hate getting worked up over something so inconsequential..." she admitted, talking more to herself than Zoro. "But it just irks me to no end to see someone throw themselves at everyone who happens to have two X chromosomes and with still of reproductive age. It's disingenuous and disrespectful. How can you trust a man who slings the same sweet words at every woman he sees?" She turned her head toward Zoro, and the man was suddenly struck by just how expressive Abel's eyes could be. "You've seen it yourself. He'll tell one she's the most beautiful woman in the world, then turn right around and say the same to another. To me, it shows that he views all women the same. We're not individuals with our own identities, personalities, like and needs. We're just things. Conquests." Abel looked away from him and down at her food with distaste, the conversation having soured her appetite.

The two remained in silence for a long time as Zoro considered the other. "So what'll you do if Luffy convinces him to join the crew? He seems pretty adamant on him being our cook." If this was going to be a major issue, then maybe he should tell Luffy to reconsider.

"Maybe I can pay you to beat him up every now and then," Abel suggested, smiling innocently.

And just like that, the mood had passed. Zoro snorted. "Eat your food and stop moping," he ordered, heading for the door. He could tell Abel's mood for speaking frankly was over. But he'd rather have her back to normal than moping around.

* * *

Another day had come and gone, with no sign of a way for Luffy to pay off his debt in full presenting itself. Signs of boredom were starting to present themselves among the crew. They were getting restless. But what could they do? They couldn't just up and leave Luffy behind. He was their captain. And without him, they wouldn't have come together as a crew in the first place.

Abel was feeling it as well. Even calibrating her crossbows, an act that usually brought peace and contentment to her, was starting to become tedious. There were only so many times she could double-check her weaponry. Maybe if she'd had some resources to experiment and tinker with, she could've entertained herself more easily. But there wasn't anything of use on the floating restaurant. She was starting to get antsy. Abel was the sort of person who couldn't stand not doing something productive for long.

"Ugh!" Abel looked up as Usopp paced in front of her. The morning fog made it hard to see even the others on the ship. Usopp tapped his foot impatiently. He seemed to be suffering the worst from the lull in activity. "We've been sitting here, twiddling our thumbs for two days now! How long do you think we're gonna be here, anyway?"

Zoro just shrugged. "Who knows?"

Usopp sighed. "He said he'd stay here a year, but I'm already so bored."

"Quit whinning," Nami chastised. "This place is great! Plus, all the food here is free."

"Yeah, for you it is," Zoro pointed out. The guys still had to pay. No way they had enough money for a year's worth of food.

As if summoned just by talking to him, Luffy came out from the kitchen carrying a sack of garbage bigger than he was. Noticing him, Usopp ran over to the railing and called, "Hey, Luffy!" Luffy peered around the side of the bag at the sniper. "What are we still doing here? C'mon, let's just get out of this place." It wasn't like the cooks could chase them down.

"Just sit tight a little longer," Luffy pleaded, understanding the crew's impatience but not having a solution for it. "I'm gonna try to make another deal with the owner."

Usopp could only lower his head in defeat. "Ugh! Well hurry up!"

As Usopp continued to bemoan their situation, Abel stared up at the sky. Maybe it was just her eyes playing tricks on her, but it looked like there was something moving in the fog. A large area behind the Baratie seemed darker than the rest. Abel could've easily written it off as a ship, but if it was, the thing was massive. Was it a cruise ship bringing guests to eat? Abel's eyes narrowed slightly. _Something's not right..._ She couldn't explain why she suddenly felt so apprehensive. It felt as if the temperature had dropped a good twenty degrees. "Does it suddenly feel colder to anyone else?" Abel asked.

The others glanced between themselves before looking back at Abel. "No..." Nami replied slowly, wondering what the other woman was getting at.

As Nami spoke, Abel noticed something strange. Testing her observation, Abel exhaled a long breath. Her breath... it was visible. Like it would be on a cold day. But that only seemed to happen to her. None of the others' breaths had been visible. Why was it only affecting Abel? Abel pulled her scarf up around her chin, trying to warm up. _I sincerely hope I'm not getting sick._ Abel hated being sick.

"Uh... guys..."

Nami's shaking voice drew Abel from her musings. She turned to see the navigator looking rather pale and nervous about something. "Problem?" Abel asked.

Instead of answering, Nami raised a shaking hand to point ahead of her. Abel turned to see that the shadow from before was much closer now. Much clearer. There was no doubt now that it was, indeed, a ship. However, what made Nami so nervous wasn't the ship itself. No, it was ominously waved above the ship. A flag. A black flag. Abel stood at attention then, realizing they had a pirate ship on their hands.

As if conspiring with the ship to make the most dramatic entrance possible, the fog slowly cleared, revealing more of the ship bit by bit. Slowly, the mark on the flag became clear. A skull-and-crossbones with an hourglass on each side. Usopp let out a shrill cry. "T-that's Don Krieg's flag! The hourglasses mean our time's up!" Usopp started running around the deck in a blind panic. "This is real bad! Shouldn't we be running away!?" Usopp did not want to fight an entire fleet of the most bloodthirsty men in the East Blue.

"Bro, let's set sail!" Yosaku pleaded. "We don't wanna die!"

However, in spite of the panic of some of his crewmates, Zoro calmly stood and hooked his swords into his belt, eying the approaching ship carefully.

"Since when does a single ship, no matter how large, constitute a 'fleet'?" Abel asked. If this really was Don Krieg's ship, where was the rest of the fleet?

Nami gasped when the ship came fully in to view. "What happened to it?" The battleship may have been fierce once, but now it looked like it shouldn't even be floating. The sails were ripped to shreds. Whole chunks had been torn from the bulwark. The figurehead, which had at one point been a fearsome lion roaring, now seemed to have a permanent expression of fear on its wooden face.

"It must've been attacked by a Sea King!" Usopp suggested. It sounded like a reasonable guess to Abel. Sea Kings were the largest monsters in the sea. They were fairly rare in the East Blue, but Abel did know they were more numerous the closer you got to the Grand Line. It was the only thing Abel could think of that could do that kind of damage to a ship that size.

But the strange thing was, even for all its damage, there should still be some life left on the galleon. Instead, it was eerily quiet. Abel couldn't hear anything. Even the sea had gone silent, adding to the thick tension in the air. "It's so quiet..." Abel almost whispered, feeling the need to not break the strange silence that had befallen them. "Perhaps it's a ghost ship. I've read about things like this happening. A ship disappears mysteriously, then shows up years later, decrepit and crewless, in a random location."

"Abel, shut up!" Usopp yelled, him and Nami clinging to each other in terror. In any other situation, Abel would've laughed at her story scaring them.

Then, over the silence, they heard it. Footsteps. Heavy and slow, like someone dragging their feet. It sounded like they were going into the restaurant. Each step made Abel's nerves perk up a bit more as the crew waited silently to see what would happen next. As Nami and Usopp's shivering wasn't helping her nerves, Abel stood next to Zoro, the soft soles of her boots barely making a sound against the deck. She found Zoro's calm alertness much more appealing. The swordsman simply glanced over at the woman before turning his attention back to the restaurant.

For a long time, there was nothing. No footsteps, no nothing. They just waited. The air felt alive with nervous energy. Then, a scream came from inside the restaurant, and Nami and Usopp screamed in response. The back doors flung open and customers poured out, running for the charter ship. They climbed and jumped on board, trying to cram as many people as possible on it. All the while, people kept screaming things like "Let's get out of here!" and "I don't want to die!"

Observing the chaos, Abel commented, "That doesn't bode well." Nor did the explosions and gunfire that soon followed.

Zoro didn't wait any longer. "Come on. Luffy may need our help," he said as he jumped the railing, landing on the Baratie's deck. As Abel followed, Zoro turned and ordered, "Nami, keep an on the ship with Johnny and Yosaku."

"Hey! How come she gets to stay!" Usopp shouted.

Instead of arguing, Abel decided on a different tactic to... encourage Usopp to join them. "Surely a brave warrior of the sea such as yourself wouldn't shy away from backing up their captain, would you?" She hoped that appealing to his ego would help him get the lead out.

It seemed to work, as Usopp looked unsure but not quite as afraid. He glanced nervously at the door before taking a deep breath. "Fine!" he shouted, most likely to pump himself up. "But you've got to protect _me_, Zoro!"

"Whatever," was all the swordsman.

"Be careful!" Nami called as the headed for the back entrance. "Don't let Luffy do anything stupid!"

"We're probably already too late for that", Abel called back.

The trio carefully neared the door that the fleeing customers had all but busted open. As they did, they could hear a loud, boisterous voice shouting, "You damn worms think you can defy me!?"

Abel peered cautiously around the door frame. It looked like all the cooks were in the dinning room, along with Luffy. She noticed he was near Sanji, who looked a bit ruffled. Given that Abel assumed Sanji was the sort of man to maintain an impeccable appearance, he must've been involved in whatever had gone down inside. Several cooks lay on the floor, bleeding badly. They looked like they'd been shot. The pirate Patty'd thrown out the other day was there. He'd probably been the one who brought the fleet here. Was it for revenge? That was Abel's first guess, but if that was the case, why did he look so distressed right now? Shouldn't he be gloating?

And then there was the man Abel could only assume was Don Krieg. He was a tall, muscular man, with very broad shoulders and a rectangular face. His hair was gray, despite him appearing maybe in his forties, cut a little longer than your standard military buzz, with bushy sideburns. His most striking feature was the armor chestplate he wore. It was gold-colored (Abel suspected it wasn't actually made of gold because that would've been horrible armor - gold is very soft), with white fur lining the joints. He'd painted his Jolly Roger on the shoulder plates. But more importantly, the plates were popped open, revealing two mini-guns hidden underneath. Aside from that, he wore light purple pants, black boots, and had a gray captain's coat tucking into his armor like a cape.

"Come on," Zoro said, keeping his voice down as he entered the room. Better to see where the situation led than rush in if Luffy didn't need help. If all this man had were guns, he was no match for Luffy. The trio moved closer to the action, not drawing anyone's attention.

Krieg dominated the room as he scowled at the cooks. "I'm the strongest!" he growled, gesturing to his armor. "This steel arm, more powerful than that of anyone! This body of steel, tougher than anyone else's!" He slipped off one of the brown gloves he wore, revealing a diamond encrusted gauntlet. "And this diamond fist can pulverize anything! My entire body is a finely tuned weapon! I'm the Fleet Admiral of fifty ships and the commander of five-thousand men! I've won every single battle I've been in! There is no other man more worthy of the title 'Don' than I am! So if I tell you to prepare the food for my men, then you shut up and do it! Nobody goes against Don Krieg!"

"He certainly his the loudest," Abel muttered under her breath, ignoring Usopp shushing her. She hated boastful people. Abel had always been under the impression that if you were really the best, you wouldn't have to go around telling everyone that. It would just be accepted fact. It was like how everyone said Whitebeard was the strongest man alive. _He_ didn't go around saying it. Everyone else did, and there was no evidence to dispute the claim. Those that can, do; and those that can't, talk about it all the time.

Besides, it's a bit hard to remain intimidating when your so-called fleet has been reduced to one ship, and the rest of your five-thousand men were so pathetic that the only person you had to take into battle with you was a man who'd been starving to death two days ago.

Abel was surprised when the owner walked between them where they'd been standing, carrying a huge sack. Abel caught a glimpse of his face as he passed. Steely and calm. Zeff thankfully put an end to Krieg's ranting when he placed the sack in front of him. "Owner Zeff!" the cooks gasped in surprise.

Unmoved by Krieg's presence, Zeff stated, "There's enough food for a hundred people. So hurry up and bring it to your men."

Krieg looked surprised, but not for the same reason as everyone. Rather than being shocked that the old man willing fed his crew, he seemed hung up on what the cooks had called him. "Did... did they just say 'Zeff'!?"

"Sir!" the cooks started protesting. "How could you give them food!? Just what's the meaning of this!?"

"Once those pirates on that ship recover, they'll take over our restaurant!"

Zeff calmly turned to face them. "Unless they're all spineless dogs." Zeff glanced back at the pirates and drawled, "You went to the Grand Line, but you ran scared, eh?" Krieg didn't deny it, and his henchman looked terrified at just hearing that place's name again. Now it all made sense. That's why their ship was so beat up and their crew decimated.

The cooks were stunned by this news. "W-What!? Don Krieg was defeated!"

"The strongest man of the East Blue... the pirate fleet admiral of fifty ships... Even he was utterly defeated by the Grand Line!?" What a terrifying place.

"Grand Line!?" Luffy gasped. So this crew had been there. They knew what it was like.

But instead of taking offense of Zeff's comment, Krieg exclaimed in an accusatory tone, "You're Red-Leg Zeff!"

As Zeff turned to face Krieg, barely showing any reaction to the title, Abel racked her brain to place the name. But nothing came to her. It definitely sounded like a pirate's name. Pirates often received nicknames based on the way they fought or some other attribute. It didn't really surprise her that the old man had been a pirate once. It would explain the rowdiness of the cooks. Only an outlaw would consider hiring people who bloodied up the customers.

Krieg seemed to calm as his realization sunk in. It shouldn't have been that surprising. How many people were out there named Zeff? It wasn't a common name. "So you were alive all this time, Red-Leg Zeff... the peerless captain and cook of his own pirate crew."

"So what if I'm alive?" Zeff retorted, already sounding bored with the conversation. "It's got nothing to do with you. As you can see, I'm living as a mere cook now."

Zeff scoffed. "Interesting to hear it put that way." He gave the old man an assessing once-over, his gaze lingering on the peg leg. "But from the way I see it, you're living as a cook not by choice, but because that's the only thing you can do. With the way you are now, you can't wear your infamous 'red shoes.' To speak of Red-Leg Zeff is to speak of the master of the kick, who refused to use his hands in battle! The pirate whose destructive kicks could pulverize bedrock, and leave a clear imprint even on steel!" He motioned to the old man's legs. "Your nickname Red-Leg refers to your legs, that would be died in the blood of your enemies after a fight."

_Interesting,_ Abel mused. _You can't judge a person based merely on outward appearances._ It made sense looking back now, what with the attitude and all, that the old man used to be a pirate, but no one would've guessed it otherwise. That must've been how he avoided capture, even though Marines didn't seem uncommon at this place. The government wasn't big on leaving even "retired" pirates alone.

Krieg actually looked like he pitied the other man. "Though I've heard rumors that you died during a shipwreck, it seems that you've managed to survive, though at the cost of your precious legs. With one of your legs gone, you can't fight anymore."

Abel was surprised when Sanji shot up, looking offended and ready to say something on his boss' behalf. But Zeff unflinchingly retorted, raising his hands, "I may not be able to fight anymore but I can still cook as long as I have these hands." The former pirate spoke with the confidence of a man who'd either made peace with his loss... or knew he hadn't lost anything. He didn't boast or protest, like Krieg did. He simply spoke with certainty. Abel suspected, after having seen the man kick several of his staff around, that he was far from helpless.

Letting his precious hands rest at his side again, Zeff asked, "But what are you getting at, exactly?"

The devious grin that cross Krieg's face told Abel whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Red-Leg Zeff. You're a man who once braved the waters of the devil's hideout, the Grand Line itself!" Krieg stroked his chin, and Abel could just imagine he was congratulating himself for whatever scheme he'd concocted. "Not only that, you returned without injury. You must've kept a log during your time in the Grand Line. So what I'm getting at is... hand over that log to me!"

"So you've been to the Grand Line, old man?" Luffy asked Zeff, excited to be meeting someone who'd been there and lived to tell.

"Yes," Zeff answered simply. Luffy probably would've launched into a game of Twenty Questions had he not continued, "You are certainly correct to assume that I kept a log, and I indeed have it to this day." He scowled deeply, exaggerating the creases already on his face. "But I won't hand it over to you."

"The I'll just steal it from you!" Krieg growled, undaunted. He gripped his fist threateningly. "It's true that I came back from the Grand Line defeated! But even so, I'm still the mighty Don Krieg! That ocean shrouded by darkness... the mention of it alone causes weak men to tremble in their boots! I had enough power to conquer that sea! Enough men! Enough ambition! The only thing I lacked was knowledge! That was my only flaw! I simply did not know enough." His eyes burned into Zeff. "Which is why I'll steal your log book and this ship!"

But the cooks weren't having that. "Like hell we'll let you!" Patty snarled, struggling to stand even though he'd been shot. "If we lose this ship, we've got nowhere to go!"

"That's right!" another agreed. "All the cooks here were chased out by other restaurants before finally finding their home in this place!"

"Owner Zeff is the only one who accepted us as chefs! He's our savior!"

"We ain't letting you pirates steal our home away!"

"Silence!" Krieg shouted, firing more shots from his shoulder cannons. Most of them hit the cooks, but a few strayed near the crew. Usopp let out a squeak as one barely missed grazing his head, and dived behind Zoro. Probably figuring he was a bigger target. Krieg sneered at the injured, writhing men. "The difference in strength between you and I is clear as night and day! I even proved it to you! Don't you dare forget that I'm the strongest!" His pauldrons hissed as they closed, and Abel idly wondered by what mechanism they worked. "Once I obtain Zeff's log book, I'll reassemble my pirate fleet and find the One Piece to become the Pirate King!"

"Here we go..." Abel murmured, being psychic enough predict what was about to happen.

Sure enough, Luffy stepped forward. "Hold it right there!" he shouted, pointing a finger at Krieg. "The one who'll become Pirate King is me."

Even though she knew he was just dragging them all into trouble, Abel couldn't help but grin at how obstinate Luffy sounded then. It didn't help that the cooks started yelling at him to keep quiet, thinking he was biting off more than he could chew. "Hey, stand down kid!" Patty yelled. "Or you'll be killed!"

Luffy just grinned. "I'm not standing down, especially on this point!"

Watching the staredown between Krieg and Luffy brought to mind images of David and Goliath. Abel saw Krieg quickly dismiss the boy, who stood before him with his arms crossed like a petulant child. "Did you say something, little brat?" Krieg asked sarcastically. "I'll be nice enough to let your comment just now slide."

"It's fine. You don't have to let it slide," Luffy replied. "I was only stating the truth."

Luffy insistence was clearly getting on Krieg's nerves. "This ain't a game," he growled darkly.

"Of course."

Apparently the stress was too much of Usopp to contain himself any longer. "Didn't you hear that just now? Even Krieg couldn't make it there! Let's just give up on going to a place like that!"

"It's a bit late to be getting cold feet, don't you think?" Abel responded. "You already knew our destination when you signed up. Anything that happens after that point is your own fault." By this point, everyone in the room was looking at them.

With their presence known, Zoro eagerly asked, "You planning to rumble, Luffy?" He dropped his white swords on his shoulder. "Need a hand?"

Luffy blinked, surprised to see part of his crew there. "Oh hey, Zoro, Abel, Usopp," he greeted like there wasn't a man who wouldn't hesitate the kill him standing right in front of him. Luffy shook his head. "No, it's fine. You can just stay sitting down."

Krieg surveyed the motley bunch, and if his sudden and boisterous laughter was anything to go by, he wasn't impressed. Not that Abel cared what the man thought. "Those are you crewmates?" he bellowed. "A rather small bunch, aren't they!?"

"What're you talking about? I've got two others, as well!" Luffy protested, as if that made for a big crew.

Behind him, Sanji deadpanned, "Hey, you just counted me in, didn't you?"

"Don't joke with me, punk!" Krieg raged. "Even my fleet of fifty ships and five-thousand pirates were utterly decimated by that devilish sea in just seven days, only because we lacked information!"

A gasp went out among the cooks. "S-Seven days!"

"The entire Krieg Pirate Fleet was annihilated in just a week!?"

"J-Just what exactly happened to them!?"

Usopp started to cry in fear. "D'you hear that just now!?" he demanded, as if the other two were deaf. "Fifty ships gone! In just a single week!"

Rather than being afraid, Zoro just looked more intrigued. "Sounds interesting."

Abel just smiled at the panicking sniper. "I hear getting old sucks, so it's probably best to get your dying done early, before you get all decrepid." Abel's words did little to ease Usopp. If anything, they set him off more. Which was totally not Abel's intention. That would've just been mean...

Krieg was not amused. "Even as a bluff, your comments just shows how completely ignorant you are to reality. If there's one thing I hate, it's empty boasting like yours. Keep saying that and I'll kill you right on this spot once I get back from unloading this food!"

Abel really couldn't help herself. "Then should you be committing suicide right about now? Because all I heard was the wind blowing."

"Abel! Shut up!" Usopp squealed, slapping his hand over the woman's mouth before she could get them in more trouble. Abel simply raised an eyebrow at him. She had the sudden childish urge to lick his hand like she use to when Adam did the same thing when they were kids.

Krieg tossed Abel a cold look, and Usopp cowered behind Zoro again. Abel just stared back lazily. Once you've stared down a basilisk, everything else is easy. After a long staredown, Krieg must've decided she wasn't worth killing. Instead, he hauled the huge bag of food on to his shoulder. "I'm going to give this food to my subordinates, and then return back here. I suggest you leave this place within that time if you don't want to die. The only things I need are this ship and Zeff's log book. If any of you still feel like dying even after I warned you, then so be it! I'll bury you to the bottom of the sea for eternity!"

_How magnanimous_, Abel thought (she didn't say it this time, for the sake of Usopp's sanity) as Krieg strutted out the door, no doubt heading for his dilapidated ship.

A tense silence followed in his wake, as no one was sure what to do. The cooks obviously didn't want to leave, but they weren't really in any state to fight back. "Sanji..." The timid voice cut through the tension like a knife. Everyone turned to the kneeling pirate. He sat on his knees, holding his shoulder like he was injured, and trembled. His face actually looked... ashamed. He bowed his head so low it almost touched the floor. "Please forgive me! I had no idea... no idea at all that this would happen...! I.."

"There's no need to apologize," Zeff interrupted, startling everyone. The pirate's head snapped up and gaped at the Zeff, who held him no ill will even though he had every right to do so. But there was no deception in Zeff's face. "The cooks of this restaurant acted out of their own free will, and this is the result of that."

"Sir!" Patty protested. "How could you of all people side with Sanji on this!? Just what's the meaning of this!?"

The other cooks were quick to jump on the "Blame Sanji" Bandwagon. "That's right! He's the one to blame for all this!"

"He just wants to destroy this restaurant that's so important to you, sir!"

"Sanji!" They rounded on the blond chef, who merely listened to their accusations without flinching. "Were you planning on using this mess we're in to become the next head chef!? Or have you just completely lost it!? Which is it!?"

"SILENCE, YOU NUMBSKULLS!" Zeff's booming voice quickly put an end to their wild ranting. Even Abel, for all she disliked the man's flirting, could tell Sanji wasn't the sort of man to resort to offing the owner just to be the next head chef. Zeff sent the cooks a hard look. "Have any one of you ever been hungry enough to die? Do any of you know just how terrifying and painful it is to be stuck in this ocean, deprived of food and water?"

"Wha... what do you mean, sir!?"

But Abel had a hunch. Based on the shadowed expression that had come over Sanji's face, she suspected that Zeff was hinting that said blond had been in just that situation. Stranded and starving... Abel didn't want to think about what that would be like. There had been times when she was sick and could eat or drink, and it felt like she was dying. But she'd always had food available. If she was piecing things together properly, Abel assumed Sanji had fed Krieg's lost pirate, he'd brought the rest of his crew to eat, and then... well, this happened. Someone who'd nearly starved before wouldn't want that to happen to anyone else.

But instead of spelling this out, Zeff said, "If you've got time to be crying over spilt milk, then just leave this place using the back door!"

The cooks exchanged a glance before steeling themselves. Arming themselves with knives, pitchforks and whatever else they could find, the banded together. "I'm gonna stay here," Patty was the first to say. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I just left without a fight."

The others agreed. "Same here. This is the place I live and work at."

"Not like I've got anywhere else to go..."

"W-What're you all doing!?" the pirate protested, gaping at them as if they were insane. "Haven't you realized how powerful the Don is by now!? You need to run away!"

"Hey, Gin..." Sanji interrupted, his coolness derailing the pirate, Gin's thought. Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette before stating, "Let me tell you something. It's my duty as a cook to feed anyone who's starving." In one fluid movement, Sanji flipped a table upright using only his leg and sat down on it, the same leg folded neatly under him. Sanji turned his eyes to the broken door. "But the ones who're coming to attack this ship are those who've already been fed. So you better not complain when I kill them." His face darkened, murderous. "If someone is planning on stealing this ship, then I'll kill that person without a second thought... even if it's you. Got that?" Gin gulped.

Patty snorted, eyeing Sanji with contempt. "You save a person only to kill him afterwards? Some guy you are."

"Shut up, you shitty cook."

Luffy grinned at his crew. "Hey! What do you think about him?" he asked, pointing to Sanji. Luffy was obviously impressed. "Pretty cool, right?"

Abel cast the blond a sidelong glance. "I don't know if I'd go that far..." If he acted like this all the time, she probably wouldn't have given him a second thought to him joining.

"Who cares about him!" Usopp snapped, flailing around. "If we don't get out of here soon-"

"Calm down," Zoro chided. "Our enemies are wounded pirates." No matter how many there were, they couldn't be much of a threat.

"That's right," Luffy agreed. "And besides..." A determined smile graced his face. "I have to fight with that guy. If he truly is strong, then he and I are going to butt heads eventually anyways!" But then Luffy thought of something. "Oh that's right. Gin!" Said pirate pulled his gaze from Sanji and Luffy. "You said you didn't know anything about the Grand Line. But didn't you guys go there?"

Gin's face paled, and he crumpled in on himself. He started shaking again, haunted by his memories. "What I don't know is the truth... I just can't believe it... I just don't know if those seven days we spent in the Grand Line was real or just a nightmare... I'm still wrestling with it in my mind..." His voice dropped to a whisper, like a child scared of the boogeyman. "He just appeared all of a sudden... To think all fifty ships of the Krieg Pirate Fleet were destroyed by a single man!"

A panicked, disbelieving cry engulfed the room. "What!?"

"Impossible!"

"The entire Krieg Pirate Fleet was crushed by a single man!?"

Even Abel had a hard time believing it. Was there really someone out there who take out fifty ships all by themself? Would they even be human? It sounded more like the work of a monster than a flesh and blood human. But Gin's reaction was proof enough of the horror they'd witnessed.

Zeff hummed in thought. "That had to be the work of the hawk-eyed man, without a doubt..."

Everyone looked to the old man then. "H... Hawk-eye man!?" Did Zeff really know who this monster was.

"You saying that you witnessed a man whose glare was as sharp as that of a hawk doesn't necessarily prove it was him," Zeff explained, staring off into the distance in thought. "But the fact that he sunk your entire fleet is more than enough proof that it really was him!"

"H... Hawk-eyed...!?" Usopp gasped dramatically, leaning forward. Then he slumped back in his chair. "Who's that?" Abel wondered why he bothered getting worked up in the first place. Or was it just for practice?

"Beats me," Luffy replied.

"He's the man I'm searching for," Zoro interjected. This caught the attention of his crewmates. Abel tilted her head curiously. Looking for? Did it have something to do with the whole swordsman thing? Zoro continued, "Johnny said he frequents this place."

"Hawk-eyed man, huh..." the cooks muttered.

"If it's the Red-eyed man, I remember him coming to this stop before."

"Right, you mean that guy who got so piss-drunk from wine that his eyes turned red."

"Yeah. That idiot who caught on fire and blew up."

The memory brought a chuckle from another. "That was quite a sight." Abel would imagine so. It wasn't every day someone spontaneously combusted.

But as amusing a story as it was, it did nothing for Zoro. "That idiot got his information mixed up!" he growled. He'd have to have a stern talking-to with Johnny about keeping his names straight.

"Hmm?" Luffy breathed. "What about Johnny?"

Zoro just sighed in defeat. "Never mind."

Turning back to the pirate, Sanji rationally asked, "Did he bear some ill grudge against you guys for him to destroy your entire fleet like that?" They had to have done something to make the man wipe them out.

Gin shook his head vehemently. "I don't remember anything like that! He just attacked us all of a sudden!"

"Perhaps you disturbed his afternoon nap," Zeff suggested.

"That's bullshit!" Gin snapped, angered that Zeff would joke about something like that. "You mean to tell me he destroyed our entire fleet for that!?"

"No need to get so irritated, it was just an example," Zeff placated, stroking his mustache thoughtfully. "That's just the kind of place the Grand Line is."

A thoughtful expression crossed Zoro's face. "A place where even the abnormal is normal, huh?"

Shivered ran down Luffy's skin. But they weren't of fear. No, they were of excitement. "That sounds like such a thrill!" he exclaimed, practically vibrating with energy. "We definitely gotta go there!"

Usopp, however, wasn't nearly as excited. Terrified was probably a better word. "Could you at least try to think of the danger!?" he snarled at Luffy. Would it kill him to consider how reckless he was being for a change?

"I'm afraid it's just an... occupational hazard," Abel commented. She wouldn't say she went out looking for danger, but she wouldn't back down from it. She'd dedicated herself to hunting monsters; danger came with the territory. If she wanted to stay safe, she'd have taken up being a doctor like her father.

Abel turned her head when Zoro reclined back in his chair. He smiled lightly, an almost whimsical look on his face. "It looks like my own goal is inextricably tied with the Grand Line... considering that _that man_ is there as well!"

"... bunch of idiots." The crew collectively looked up at Sanji as he said this. The man gave them a look of contempt, but there was something else behind it. It almost sounded like... longing to Abel. Fiddling with his cigarette, Sanji continued harshly, "You lot are the type to rush to their deaths."

"True," Zoro agreed. "But I'd rather you leave out the 'idiot' part." He gave the blond a serious look. His voice was strong and clear. Determined. "Ever since I decided to become the world's greatest swordsman, I threw away my attachment to life. The only one who has the right to call me an idiot is me alone." It was his choice. He had no delusions about the safety of his dream. He knew very well that it could kill him. But he'd rather die chasing his dream than live a thousands years for nothing.

"Ooh! Me too!" Luffy shouted, raising his hand as if it were some sort of volunteer opportunity.

Usopp tried to match the other guys' determination. "As a real man, the same goes for me too."

But Zoro didn't buy it. "Liar," he pointed out, tapping the side of Usopp's head with the hilt of a sword.

Sanji just scoffed. "What a load of crap." Abel didn't mention it, but he sounded a bit weak then.

"Hey, retards!" Patty chimed in, obnoxiously. "Haven't your realized the situation we're in right now!? The gigantic galleon that's parked right in front of our restaurant belongs to the Pirate Fleet Admiral Don Krieg! The ship of the strongest pirate in all the East Blue! You got that!? So you can continue your little conversation after we've gotten ourselves out of this mess!"

"You put it so succinctly," Abel drawled with a little smile. Patty just gaped at her with his mouth open, plainly trying to comprehend what she'd just said... and determine if it warranted a response.

Before he could, however, a roar came from outside. It sounded like a wolf, or a banshee. A lost soul being brought back to life. There was no doubt it came from Krieg's men, having regained their strength after feasting. It sent a shiver down the spines of the cooks. That must've been some potent food to bring back men on the verge of death and instill such a strong spirit in them. Then came to rushing sound of a stampede, and a mighty cry as the pirates prepared to fall upon the ship like the breaking waves to wash away everyone in their path.

The cooks raised their weapons. "I can hear them coming!"

"Brace yourself! This ship is our restaurant!" They weren't going down without a fight. But for all their determination, Abel wondered just how effective they would be in a fight. Just because you acted like a pirate didn't mean you could fight like one.

"Move it, ya' damn cooks!" the pirates yelled as they charged.

But before the first one could even step a foot through the threshold, something split their ship in two! Sliced it right down the middle, as easily as you could cut through the tender flesh of a peach. As the halves the ship fell into the sea, no longer able to stay afloat, they sent up massive waves, rocking the restaurant something fierce. A general scream came from both sides of the battlefield.

Outside, someone screamed, "Don Krieg! Our ship...! Our ship's been cut!"

"Cut!?" they could hear the Don reply, rage and panic mingling together in his voice. "The hell do you mean cut!? How can a huge galleon like this be cut!? That's impossible!"

Before the others could react, Luffy shot off towards the back door without a word. When he realized Luffy's destination, Zoro gasped. "Crap! Our ship was outside too, with Nami, Yosaku and Johnny still inside!" A ship Merry's size could easily capsize in waves like this.

As the rest of the crew ran after Luffy, Usopp shouted pessimistically, "It might be too late already!" But he prayed it wasn't.

Abel's chest tightened when they got outside. The Going Merry was nowhere to be seen. Had it already been dragged under? Could even someone with Nami's navigational skills handle a ship that size on her own?

"Bro!"

"Big Bro Zoro!" Abel felt slightly relieved to see Johnny and Yosaku swimming towards them, struggling to stay afloat but otherwise fine.

"Yosaku! Johnny! You all right!?" Zoro shouted over the waves. "The ship! Where's our ship!? What happened to Nami!?"

The men sputtered, fighting the rushing water. "About that... we're sorry, Bro...! She's not here anymore!" Abel started to fear the worst then, at least until they continued. "Sister Nami...!"

"Took the treasure and sailed away!"

...

"WHAAAT!?"

"What do you mean!?" Luffy shrieked, practically falling into the water in his haste.

Noticing how the two men kept spitting out water with each rolling wave, Abel suggested, "Perhaps we should fish them out, lest they drown and we never learn what happened." The guys gawked at Abel as if the thought of actually helping the bounty hunters out of the water never occurred to them. Then again, taking into account who she was talking to, that was a very real possibility.

The boys scrambled to help Johnny and Yosaku climb onto the Baratie's deck. Aside from being a little waterlogged, they seemed unharmed. They panted, struggling to catch their breaths. "We're sorry, Big Bro," Johnny managed.

"Tell us exactly what happened. Slowly," Abel advised.

"Right. Well, after you guys went in to check on the situation, it was pretty quiet," Johnny began. "Then we noticed Nami dragging our treasure onto the ship. We thought this was suspicious, so we asked her, since we weren't planning on sticking around for long. But then, she tricked us! She said she was going to change her clothes and asked us to turn around. Being the gentlemen that we are, we obliged. The next thing we knew, she was pushing us overboard!"

"She said what you all had was just a temporary arrangement," Yosaku continued, trying to brush the water from his face. "She said to tell you all that if you were really linked by fate that you'd meet again."

Johnny and Yosaku bowed their heads, apologizing for letting the ship be shanghaied like that. "After saying that, she ran away!"

The crew was understandably upset with this turn of events. "So now we're broke, stranded, and the one person who could help us locate our stolen property is the same person who took it," Abel summarized. _Mmm... we're definitely in a situation._ "I suppose we should've expected this outcome when we teamed up with a self-avowed pirate thief." Nami had said from the very beginning that she only stuck around because it was profitable. Although it did seem strange that she'd choose now to leave.

The others reacted with less, shall we say, nonchalance. "Damn that woman!" Zoro growled, punching the wall in frustration. "Just because she was acting all nice recently, I let my guard down for one moment and then this happens!" He should've never let his guard down around her.

Usopp balled his hands into fists so tightly he almost cut off the circulation to his fingers. "How dare she pull a fast one over on us, especially during a crisis!"

"Wait!" Luffy exclaimed, interrupting the rant that was likely inbound. He walked past the crew and stared out at the sea, shielding his eyes to see better. His eyes widened. "I can still see our ship!"

"What!?"

Sure enough, when the others looked, they could see the outline of their ship in the distance. "It's the Going Merry!" Usopp cried in relief. But his relief wouldn't last for long if they didn't move soon.

Turning to the bounty hunters, Luffy asked, "Yosaku! Johnny! Where's your ship!?"

They blinked before replying, "Well, we still have ours." Nami must've untied it when she stole their treasure, because it had been attached to the Going Merry.

"Zoro! Abel! Usopp!" Luffy yelled.

But Zoro already knew what his captain was thinking. And he didn't like it. "Just let her go," he said dismissively. "No good will come of chasing after that thief." He'd rather not have someone in the crew that would just abandon them like that.

"B-But she took our ship!" Usopp protested vehemently. "Kaya gave us that ship!"

Luffy gave his crew the sternest expression possible. With a strong, unyielding voice, he said, "I want her to be our navigator, no matter what!"

The crew carefully considered their captain for a long moment. He was obviously very serious about this. And once Luffy's mind was made up, there was no changing it. Luffy was ridiculously stubborn at times. Finally, Zoro relented. "Fine," he said with a sigh before muttering, "Why'd I have to follow such a troublesome captain..." He was their captain, as it was their job as his crew to make his orders a reality. Easily falling into his own authority, Zoro turned to the two sharpshooters and ordered, "You two go with Johnny and Yosaku and find Nami. Between the two of you, you shouldn't have trouble tracking her down. I'm going to stay here to help Luffy. Things are getting a little crazy here. Just find her and wait for us."

Abel gave Zoro a full salute, even clacking her heels together. "Aye-aye, Chief." Zoro's mouth thinned into a line, but he didn't say anything.

"Brother Usopp! Sister Abel! We're ready to set sail!" the hunters called, already on their boat. It should serve them well enough of their journey.

As the pirate climbed aboard, however, someone from the opposite side of the restaurant screamed, "It's him!" The sheer terror in his voice sent chills down their spines. "Don Krieg! It's him! The one who destroyed our fleet! He followed us all the way out here! He's come to kill all of us!"

Zoro's body went ramrod stiff. His heart pounded in his chest. He could hardly hear anything over the rush of blood in his ears. "I-It can't be... is that... the Hawk-eyed man!?" Without a second thought, Zoro ran around the deck, leaving his crew calling after him.

Abel had a strong hunch what Zoro was up to. "Row the ship around," she told the bounty hunters. She didn't know if the man chasing Krieg really was the same man, but if he was related to Zoro's dream, she knew he'd challenge him.

As the small boat started rounding the ship, they could hear people yelling. "Damn it! What did we ever do to you!? Why the hell do you have to follow us all the way out here!"

Silence greeted them. Until... "Just to kill some time," a strong, deep, yet utterly bored voice replied.

"That's bullshit!" Abel heard two pistol shots. But instead of hearing the bullets hit, there was the softest sound of metal striking metal.

"Wha!? I-It missed!?"

"He deflected it," Zoro's voice rebuffed. "It'll be the same no matter how many times you shoot. He changed the bullet's trajectory with the tip of his sword." Abel rarely heard Zoro speak in such a soft tone. He almost sounded... awed. He clearly respected whatever he'd seen. "I've never seen such graceful movements."

"A sword without grace is just a piece of metal."

By this time, their boat had made it around to get a good look at the scene. And what a scene it was. Krieg's ship, which had been in bad shape before, now floated in large chunks. It looked like a bomb had gone off. But the person commanding all the attention was the swordsman floating calmly in their midst in what appeared to be an oversized coffin. Even sitting down, Abel could tell he was tall, probably over six and a half feet. His features were very striking, and carried a refined air. He had jet black hair, short but hidden under black, wide-brimmed hat that had a white plume. His mustache and beard were carefully maintained and gave an angular look to his stern face. He sported a long black jacket with maroon lining and maroon paisley print on the sleeves, gray pants and heavy black boots. He wore no shirt under his jacket, exposing his lean, chiseled chest, decorated solely by a gold crucifix necklace. But it was his eyes... those penetrating golden eyes that instantly drew ones attention. Abel instinctively knew that catching those eyes would be like a bird looking into a snake's. Once you were caught, you could never look away.

Their own swordsman approached, standing on a broken piece of the galleon's deck with a few other pirates. He ignored them completely. "Did you cut this ship as well with that sword?" he asked.

"Yes, indeed," the hawk-eyed man answered easily.

A wolfish, excited grin stretched over Zoro's face. But for all his obvious excitement, he was sweating. He was nervous. "No wonder you really are the strongest." Zoro tugged at his bandana. Standing tall, he called to the other. "I set sail to meet you!"

The hawk-eyed swordsman finally inclined his head enough to stare at Zoro. "What do you aim for?"

"To be the strongest." Zoro tied his bandana securely before drawing a sword and pointing it at the man. "You said you're free, right? So let's have a duel."

By this point, the pirates had realized who Zoro was. The three swords gave it away. It wasn't exactly a common sword style. "It's him! Zoro! Roronoa Zoro of the Three Sword Style!"

"The Pirate Hunter...?" Krieg muttered.

"Him...!?" Abel tried not to smile at even Sanji's surprise.

Slowly, the hawk-eyed swordsman stood. Abel watched the scene with rapt attention. Strange how such an innocuous motion could seem so threatening. Absently, she was aware of Usopp tugged at her sleeve and demanding that they chase after Nami before they lost sight. But everyone seemed glued to the fight that was about to happen.

"Pitiful," the swordsman stated. "Weakling." In spite of his poor opinion of Zoro, however, joined the other on the broken deck.

It was only then that Abel realized the thing sticking out from behind him was his sword. _For the love of... it's bigger than he is!_ The grip extended nearly a foot past the top of his hat, while the massive black blade ran all the way down the length of his back. The guard resembled a celtic cross, both ends extending nearly two feet from the center of the sword, encrusted with gems.

The hawk-eyed man examined Zoro. "If you're a competent swordsman, then I can demonstrate the clear difference in strength between you and I without needing to cross blades at all," the man said. But it didn't come across a boast. He was merely stating a fact. "But still, you dare to challenge me. Does your bravery come from your conviction? Or from ignorance?"

Undaunted by the man's attitude, Zoro drew all three swords. "It comes from my ambition... and a promise to a friend." Abel knew that there would be no backing down for Zoro now. But... "To be honest, I never thought I'd be able to meet you so early on."

"A waste, if you ask me," the other replied.

Even the cooks watched on in anxious tension. "The world's strongest swordsman versus the Pirate Hunter Zoro...!"

_Ah... so that's it_, Abel realized. _If that man's the world's strongest swordsman, and Zoro defeats him, he'll gain that title. And his dream._ Now Abel understood. It wasn't just about testing his mettle against another swordsman. This _was_ his dream. That's why Zoro said he'd been looking for this man.

"There's not a chance someone can match our bro!" Yosaku cheered.

"Hopefully you're correct," Abel murmured, eyeing the hawk-eyed one. "That gentleman doesn't seem like the sort who finishes a fight by shaking hands."

The older swordsman considered the other a moment longer before pulling off his necklace. Zoro watched him carefully, not letting his guard down. "Just what're you planning to do with that?" he asked around his white sword.

"I'm different from those stupid brutes who'd go all out just to hunt a mere rabbit," the other replied. He pulled off the bottom section of the crucifix, revealing a small knife. "Though you may be a swordsman of some renown, this is the East Blue, the weakest of the four seas that are separated by the Red Line and Grand Line. Unfortunately, I do not have a blade smaller than this at the moment." Burned...

Zoro scowled. "There's a limit to just how much you can underestimate me! You better not regret it when you die!" He rushed at the other, swords out to the side.

The black-haired swordsman barely moved. "Hear me, little frog in his well. It's time for you to realize that the world is bigger than what it seems from your well."

His prodding just agged Zoro on. "Oni Giri!" But the unthinkable happened. The other stopped Zoro's attack dead in its tracks, using only the very point of the knife to hold all three blades at a single point. Zoro gasped at being held off so effortlessly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take a step closer.

"Zoro?" Luffy gasped in shock.

Johnny's jaw hit the ground. "Big Bro's Oni Giri was stopped!" he shouted, pointing out the obvious.

"No one's ever been able to stop that attack!" Yosaku chimed in.

Zoro was really starting to sweat now. _I... can't move... There hasn't been a single man who could see through that move until now! So how can he stop me with that toy...!? This is... ridiculous!_ Overcome by rage, and probably a bit more desperation than he'd care to admit, Zoro attacked wildly. He swung his swords as fast as he could. But no matter how fast or how numerous his strikes, the other easily blocked them all. All the while, never changing from that pocket knife of his.

The longer she watched the fight go on, the more she realized that this would not end well for Zoro. Zoro was good, there was no doubt about that. But this was the greatest swordsman in the entire world. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, she feared what a defeat would cost Zoro. Not just physically, but mentally. _Could he rise again to carry on if he fell here?_ His dream gave his strength. She'd hate to see him lose that.

A skillful parry sent Zoro tumbling to the ground. Breathing hard, Zoro staggered to his feet, glaring at the other man. This was not how things were supposed to go. _There shouldn't be such a vast difference between us! There can't be!_ With a battle cry, Zoro charged again. He wouldn't back down. Not so long as there was breath left in him.

From the sidelines, his former partners cheered him on. Pirate and cook alike watched in awe, temporarily forgetting about their previous plans. And even the hawk-eyed swordsman seemed surprised at Zoro's ferocity, fruitless though it may be.

_I didn't train so hard until today just to fight against this stupid little toy!_ Zoro would not dishonor Kuina's memory like this. "I trained to win! I came to beat this man!"

The man's piercing golden eyes stared into his own burning ones. "What burdens you so?" he asked. "What do you still desire at the extent of your strength, weakling?"

Abel jumped when Johnny and Yosaku tried to jump over her and the side of the boat to get at the swordsman. "How dare you call our bro a weakling!?"

"We oughta teach you a lesson, you bastard!"

Thankfully, Luffy grabbed them before they could get their fool selves killed. "Stop! Yosaku! Johnny! Don't interfere!" He shoved their heads against the deck, holding them firmly in place. "Stay put right here...!"

Usopp clearly saw how much it pained Luffy to stand by while Zoro got kicked around. But he managed to contain himself... for now. "Luffy..." he breathed.

Silently, Abel placed a hand on Luffy's shoulder. She felt his muscles tremble with tension beneath hear palm. Without a word, Luffy reached a hand up to cover Abel's. Abel told herself she was doing this to comfort Luffy, not to calm her own nerves.

Another parry sent Zoro sprawling on the broken deck. He quickly righted himself. Not that speed mattered at this point. The other man seemed content to let Zoro throw himself at him time and again, like waves breaking on a mountain.

_"World's strongest swordsman! Sounds great! If you're gonna be the Pirate King's shipmate, you should be able to accomplish at least that much! Otherwise, It'll be embarrassing for me!"_

Zoro raised his arms. "Tora..."

_"Carrying the dreams of two people must be a heavy burden."_

"... Gari!"

Moving like the wind through the trees, the hawk-eyed swordsman struck in a blink, weaving his knife through Zoro's attack, spearing him in the chest. Just below where his heart sat.

"Bro!" the bounty hunters screamed.

Luffy gripped Abel's hand so tightly her bones ground together. But considering her nails dug into his shoulder, drawing blood, she figured they were even. Abel had to remind herself to breathe. Each breath sent sympathy pains through her chest.

Zoro blinked. It took a moment to register what had just happened. His arms slowly lowered to his sides. It wasn't until he coughed up some blood, sending it dribbling down his chin, that it really hit him. He was going to die here...

For a long time, the only movement between them was Zoro's blood slowly dripping from his chest and the swordsman's knife. The hawk-eyed man stared up at Zoro, confusion written in those piercing eyes. "Do you wish for me to pierce your heart? Why do you refuse to step back?" Did this man lack any semblance of self-preservation?

Zoro gave a slight, pained chuckle. "Beats me... not really sure myself... But I get the feeling... that if I were to take even one step back right now, I'd lose something very important to me... a promise or oath... or whatever it is would be irreversibly broken. And that I'd never be able to return back to where I'm standing right now."

"Yes, such is defeat," the other answered.

"Then that's why I can't step back."

"Even if it means your death?"

In spite of all the pain and blood, Zoro still smirked. "I'd much rather die."

The hawk-eyed man considered the other swordsman for a moment before pulling his knife back. It made a sickening wet sound as it pulled from Zoro's chest. "Kid, tell me your name."

Zoro held his swords up in a windmill fashion. "Roronoa Zoro," he said with pride. It was now or never.

"I shall remember it, for your strength is not oft seen in this world." The hawk-eyed man reached behind him, pulling out his massive black sword. Abel had never seen anything so beautiful and terrible at the same time. "And to pay my respect to you as a fellow swordsman, I shall end this duel with my black sword, the world's strongest sword."

"He unsheathed it!" the pirates shrieked. "That sword he used to cut our ship with!"

Abel wasn't even sure her heart was beating anymore. It felt like it was lodged in her throat. _If that sword can cut through ships like butter, what can it do to a person?_ She didn't want to watch, but she felt she had to.

Zoro readied himself. At least the man was taking him seriously enough to actually use his precious sword. It was an honor. _So this is it... the final blow... If I miss here, I'll die. To be the world's strongest... or die here and now!_

The black-haired swordsman charged at Zoro, sword drawn over his shoulder. You could feel everyone hold their breaths. Zoro started spinning his swords in a whirlwind fashion. "Three-Sword Style Secret Technique! Sanzen Sekai!"

The two men in a flash of steel. Zoro felt the cut along his stomach. Heard his two swords shatter, so that only the white remained. And in that instant, Zoro knew it was over. _I lost... I'm not match for him..._ Zoro coughed up more blood. _Never even thought about the possibility of losing..._ Crouching, he respectfully sheathed his remaining sword. Her sword. At least that would remain. _So this is... the strength of the world's strongest!_

Zoro surprised the other man by turning to face him. But instead of launching another attack, he held his arms out to the side. Leaving himself completely open. "What...?"

Zoro grinned, surprisingly at peace. "Wounds on the back are a swordsman's shame."

The other grinned in return. "Splendid." And without further ado, sliced Zoro deeply across the chest.

"ZORO!"

Abel always heard that when you were about to die, your life flashed before your eyes. But she never knew a similar thing happened when your friend was about to die, except it was the time you'd spent with them that flashed. Abel felt the beginnings of tunnel vision coming over her. Everything focused in on Zoro, and even he was moving in slow motion. Colors dulled, except for the brilliant red spraying from Zoro's chest. Vaguely, she was aware of Luffy, Usopp, Johnny and Yosaku screaming Zoro's name. Zoro's body sagged, teetering back towards the water. Abel was fairly certain she hit the water before Zoro did. It was pretty obvious where he was going.

The man sunk surprisingly fast. It was probably due to his weight and being completely unconscious. Abel's limbs propelled her swiftly through the water, and she caught up to Zoro reasonably quickly. As she wrapped her arms under his arms, she eyed the wound the hawk-eyed swordsman had inflicted on him. It looked really bad. That black sword had cut him almost from stem to stern, crossing his torso diagonally all the way from his shoulder to his hip. Even under water, blood wafted from the wound, floating through the water like red tendrils. Abel wasted no time pulling Zoro to the surface.

"Bro! Answer us, Big Bro!" the hunters yelled from the boat once the two broke the surface.

When she saw Zoro still wasn't breathing, Abel slapped him on the back as hard as she was capable. Probably not the best way to treat a dying man, but since it got him to cough up water it was all right. Of course, he coughed up blood too, but at least he was breathing again.

"Zoro!" Luffy shouted anxiously. As Abel swam over with Zoro to the bounty hunters' boat, she notice he had somehow made it over to the deck where the hawk-eyed swordsman remained, watching them intently. No doubt Luffy'd thrown himself at the other man after the fight was done.

"You're not allowed to die, Zoro," Abel said under her breath. "I haven't given you permission to die yet." She knew he couldn't hear her, but it made her feel better just saying it. Abel had seen a lot of good people die helping her father's clinic, and during the basilisk attacks, but never anyone close to her; she didn't want to start now.

Three pairs of hands reached down to help pull Zoro from Abel's arms. "Hurry up and get him on the boat!" Johnny urged frantically. Abel pulled herself up after, just as Usopp ran up carrying a bucket of medical supplies.

"I am Dracule Mihawk!" the hawk-eyed swordsman proclaimed. Abel turned and stared at the man. She wanted to hate him, but the fight had been Zoro's choice. This Mihawk did try to warn him off, and he could've just killed Zoro if he'd really wanted to. So why hadn't he? Not that Abel was complaining.

Mihawk's eyes burrowed in to Zoro. "It is must too early for you to die. Know thy self! Know thy world! And become strong, Roronoa! No matter how many months or years pass by, I shall stand here at the top of the world and wait for you! So forge on ahead with that fierce conviction and try to surpass my sword! Surpass me, Roronoa Zoro!"

Abel stared down at their unconscious swordsman while Usopp applied some medicine to his chest, absorbing Mihawk's words. She wouldn't claim to be an expert on swordsmanship philosophy, but she imagined Mihawk must've seen something in Zoro's conviction that was admirable. _It must get lonely at the top_, she thought. In a strange way, Mihawk was nurturing Zoro to become a better swordsman, until one day they could meet as equals. Abel mentally sighed. _Men..._

Turning from them, Mihawk stared down at Luffy, less hostile but no less intense. "Boy, what do you aim for?"

"The be the Pirate King!" Luffy answered without a hint of hesitation.

Mihawk chuckled. "A tough path indeed. Even tougher than surpassing myself."

"Whatever!" Luffy growled, sticking his tongue out at the swordsman obstinately. "I'm going to do it anyways!" Ignoring the other for the moment, Luffy called out to his crew, "Abel! Usopp! Is Zoro all right!?"

"Of course. People often survive being cut in twain," Abel answered the pointless question.

Usopp helpfully translated, "Like hell he'd be all right! But he's still alive! He only lost consciousness!"

The two hunters uselessly blubbered. "Bro...!"

"Please answer us...!" Their concern was touching, but not helping.

As Abel knelt to aid Usopp, she nearly fell backwards when a sword practically cut her face off. Wide eyed, Abel followed the blade down to the white handle, being held aloft by their bleeding swordsman. "Zoro?" Luffy gasped.

"L-Luffy..." Zoro panted. "C... can you hear me...?"

"Yeah!" Luffy replied quickly, climbing to his feet.

Zoro swallowed, cringing as he tasted blood. His entire body burned with white-hot pain. But this needed to be said. He needed to say it more than he needed to breathe. "Sorry for worrying you... I know... that if I don't become... the world's strongest swordsman, it will only embarrass you...!" Zoro coughed up more blood, the strain of talking taking its toll.

"Bro! Please don't talk anymore!" Yosaku pleaded.

But Zoro pressed on. "I SWEAR!" he shouted, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. "THAT I'M NEVER GOING TO LOSE AGAIN!" And even though is body shook from exhaustion and emotion, his hand never wavered. The sword that meant so much to him, that he was now pledging himself to his captain on, didn't so much as twitch. "UNTIL THE DAY I FIGHT HIM AND WIN... I SWEAR! TO NEVER LOST AGAIN!" Zoro had to pause to catch his breath. "Any problems? Pirate King!?"

Luffy laughed. "Nope!"

As Mihawk prepared to leave, Abel gently grabbed Zoro's outstretched hand. "That's enough bravado for one day," she said softly, carefully removing the sword from Zoro's grasp. And for once, the man didn't put up a fight. He must've been worse off than she thought.

"Hawk-eyes!" Abel looked up to see Krieg standing behind the swordsman, looking as smug as usual. "Didn't you come all the way out here for my head?" the pirate stupidly taunted. "The head of the infamous ruler of the East Blue, Don Krieg?"

Without even turning around, Mihawk replied, "For a while, yes. But I've already enjoyed myself here. And so I'll return back to my nap."

_What is it with swordsmen and sleeping?_ Abel wondered to herself.

"No need to be so curt," Krieg continued. It was like his ego couldn't stand being upstaged in anything, so he had to make himself the center of attention. Abel wondered if he was a middle child. "You may have had your fun, but I sure haven't!"

Already seeing how this was going to go down, Abel knelt next to Zoro and said, "I'm afraid we're going to have to improvise on your strategy, Chief. In your state, you're better suited for chasing down our wayward navigator. I'll stay to help our captain."

"I'd hate for you to be remiss..." Zoro panted, but his eyes were far more lucid now.

Abel just chuckled. It was good to see him returning to normal. Abel was confident he'd recover fully in time. "I leave him in your hands," she told the others before leaping from the boat to the restaurant. Abel landed on the railing like an owl, startling several of the nearest cooks.

Back to the one-sided argument, Krieg shouted, "How about you die before leaving!?" He pulled out two pistols and fired them at the swordsman. At the same time, panels opened up in his armor to reveal hidden guns under his pauldrons and his side plating.

Mihawk didn't even flinch. "You never learn, do you?" He swung his sword once, creating a shockwave that sent waves crashing over the broke ship, allowing him to get back on his coffin-boat thing and sail away as pretty as you please.

The force sent Luffy flying through the air. "Boss," Abel called to him, holding out her hand.

Stretching his arm out, Luffy grabbed Abel's hand and reeling himself in. He slammed face-first into the railing, but managed to grab on so he didn't fall into the sea. Turning, Luffy saw the hunters' boat struggling with the choppy waves. "Usopp! Go on ahead!"

"All right!" Usopp shouted back, holding Luffy's straw hat up. He must've lost it when he went over to confront Mihawk. "Zoro and I'll definitely bring Nami back! So you make sure to get us a cook! Once we have five people in our crew, let's head to the Grand Line!" He threw Luffy's hat.

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed, placing hat back where it belonged.

Abel stepped down from the railing and pulled Luffy onto the ship proper. She nearly jumped when Sanji came up beside them and stated, "They're finally coming." He was referring to the pirates now with their eyes firmly set on the Baratie. The chef blew out a long stream of smoke. "Damn pests." Abel's nose crinkled at the acrid smell of the smoke. But at least he wasn't flirting. Nice to know he could act like a normal human being when he wanted to.

"Hey old man!" Luffy said with a grin. "If we chase them away for you, will you let me off the hook?"

"Sounds like a fair trade to me," Abel added.

Zeff sighed. Were these two dense or just that confident? "Fine, do as you wish."

_To Be Continued..._

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**I want to have the next chapter contain all of Krieg's fight, so it'll take a bit. But I'll get it done as soon as I can.  
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	13. I Ain't Gonna Die

**Hey guys! Just a few housekeeping things before the chapter starts:**

**One, you may have noticed I uploading a new thumbnail for the story. I've been thinking of uploading any images I make to a site, but I haven't decided on which. I was thinking DeviantArt. What do you guys think? Any suggestions?**

**You may also notice that I've upped the rating for the story from T to M. Right now it's solely due to the language content. Stupid pirates and their foul mouths.**

**I also wanted to address two issues brought up in my comments. The first is regarding Abel's crossbows & their seemingly infinite arrow capacity. I actually decided to give Abel those sorts of weapons to address an issue I saw in the story regarding ranged weapons. It's funny how everyone uses mostly flintlock weapons but never have to reload or run out of ammo. I kicked around a few ideas on how to get around having a character use guns without worry about loading them all the time. I originally considered a Devil Fruit power, but I don't like making up Devil Fruit powers because you never know what Oda will think up & it's established in the storyline that two Devil Fruits with the same power can't exist at the same time. Thus Abel's crossbows, which were inspired by some of the weapons from the game Fable 2. But they're not infinite. The cartridges, if you want to call them that, work similar to a Tommy Gun, a tightly-packed roll of bolts. So reloading them involved changing the cartridges. However, it is possible for Abel to run out of bolts. I don't have a specific number of shots she can fire before then, however. Essentially, any time Abel has sufficient downtime to tinker with her bows, she won't run out. But it could become a thing during some of the longer, more intense battles in the future.**

**The second was the question of the type of enemies Abel will face throughout the story. Originally, I shied away from having Abel fight a monster in every single arc. It would just be oddly convenient for every enemy to have a monster in its crew. But then I thought about how the others face enemies convenient to their development. And I considered that there's a broad range of issues that might fall under "Monster Hunter" territory without being a traditional monster. There are lots of different mythical/supernatural/occult mythos to pull from that could be very interesting to add. So that's the angle I'll try to take when it comes to Abel's enemies.  
**

**I hope that address any issues brought up so far.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece. I only own my original additions. This story is for entertainment purposes.**

**Warnings: Language, Violence & Gore**

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Pirate and cook alike glared at each other over the short distance of ocean that separated them. Abel's hands idly caressed the handle of her crossbows. She eyed the pirates. There were a lot of them, but she wasn't too concerned. Numbers didn't bother Abel. Her crossbow's firing capacity made her rather good at crowd control. It was only Krieg that worried her. Even without knowing his reputation, she could tell from the way he talked that he was ruthless. He wouldn't fight fair. Abel expected he'd use every dirty trick in the book the get what he wanted.

Abel watched as Krieg talked to his men, no doubt giving them his own version of a pep talk. One of the pirates tried to protest whatever he'd said, but all he got for his trouble was a bullet to the chest and a watery grave. Krieg continued to talk (or rather, yell) at his men, probably something to the effect of not being cowards. Regardless of what he said, it got his men pumped. They cheered as they set murderous eyes on the Baratie. "Whoa! They're all fired up to fight!" Luffy exclaimed, getting excited himself. He looked up at Zeff. "Hey Old Man! It's a promise, right!?"

"You don't have to ask me twice," Zeff replied, never taking his eyes off the looming pirate threat. "My restaurant would be a wreck if I let you work here for a full year, anyways."

Abel chuckled. "You have no idea..." She was surprised he hadn't brought the place down around their ears already.

"Where's Patty and Carne?" Sanji asked out of the blue.

"They're busy with the battle preparations!" a nearby cook answered. "Those guys sure are reliable in times like this!"

Sanji snorted at the idea. "_Only_ in times like these..." he muttered before facing the cook properly. "You better go to the control room and open up the fins."

The cook blinked. "Wha... you sure!? That'll just give our enemies a foothold!"

"Doesn't matter," Sanji replied casually. "The geezer won't shut up if we fight inside the restaurant."

"You say something, brat?" Zeff snapped, although Abel suspected he'd heard Sanji perfectly well.

Sanji made a face at Zeff. "Yeah, I said you won't shut up."

As the other cook ran off to some unknown destination, Abel couldn't help but wonder aloud, "Battle preparations and a control room? Just what are you cooks up to?" She was genuinely curious. Had they really prepared for a full-scale invasion? She was impressed if they had.

The pirates rushed towards the ship, planning to swim or even jump from the broken deck. "Hand that ship to us, you pathetic cooks!"

Luffy ran past Abel and into the dining room. "Let's get things started!" he said to himself, and stretched his hands out to grab the railing. "Gum-Gum..."

Already having a good idea of what he was up to, Abel tugged at Sanji and Zeff's sleeves. "You might want to stand back," she suggested. The men looked confused, but did as the woman suggested, taking a step away from the open doorway.

"Rocket!" Luffy slingshotted himself forward, flying over the sea and directly towards the charging pirates, who halted when they saw the boy hurtling towards them. Understandable, since that wasn't something you saw every day. Luffy pulled his arms close. "Followed by... Scythe!" He stretched his arms out to the side. He clotheslined at least a dozen pirates, knocking them unconscious and sending them into the waves. But that still presented the problem of Luffy being over the water when he finished. Fortunately, he was able to snag one of the broken galleon's masts, hugging his arms and legs around it.

The cooks cheered, pleasantly surprised by Luffy's prowess. "That chore boy ain't bad!"

"So the Grand Line is teeming with guys like him...?" Sanji muttered. It was hard to believe what he was seeing right in front of his face, much less thinking about people having similar abilities.

From his perch, Luffy scowled at Krieg, who was unmoved from his little piece of broken deck. "I'll send ungrateful crooks like you flying!" he growled.

Krieg just laughed. "Planning on fighting here where you can't even stand properly?" The Don looked smug then. "I've heard that Devil Fruit users are weak against the sea. Is that right, Anchor Boy?"

Luffy stuck his tongue out immaturely. "I can't swim, but I can stretch!"

Before they could continue trading quips, however, a great creaking & groaning came from the head of the ship. Abel turned her eyes from the waterlogged pirates to the direction the god awful noise came from. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the fish head's mouth open, revealing three cannons. Slowly, the fish head separated from the ship, showing that it was actually a fish-shaped boat! It had two water wheels on the side and a paddling tail to propel it forward. A canopy popped up over the exposed cockpit, where two of the cooks sat. Patty and some other guy Abel didn't know, but assumed from Sanji's previous conversation that he was Carne.

Luffy's eyes sparkled at the sight of the little fish ship paddling forward. "That's so cool!"

"I don't know if I'd go so far as to call it 'cool,'" Abel mused. "But it is rather ingenious disguising a ship as your figurehead." Maybe they could've chosen something other than a guppy as their design, however. But again, it was unsuspecting.

Patty and Carne were busy arguing while they manned the little ship. "Hey! Pedal properly!"

"No, you pedal faster!"

"I'm already pedallin'!"

"Yer the one who has to pedal faster if we wanna turn left!"

"Yeah, I know, dumbass! Just shut the hell up, you bald-headed freak!"

It was amazing with the lack of teamwork that the ship moved forward at all. But it did slowly turn so it faced the pirates.

"Full speed ahead!"

"Faster! Faster! Faster!"

Amazingly, the two managed to work together long enough to give the ship a burst of speed, barreling down on the pirates. The pirates didn't have time to react. The ship opened fire, the cannons tearing up most of what was left intact of Krieg's ship. And of course taking the pirates that were there with it. By now, the only solid land was the Baratie and the bit of wreckage that Krieg occupied.

Over the chaos the cannon fire, someone shouted, "Opening the fins!"

Again, the Baratie lurched. Abel staggered slightly, but quickly regained her balance against the railing. Mechanical groaning filled Abel's ears. She was again impressed by these cooks' ingenuity as two large platforms came out of the sea. They fit perfectly into place with the existing deck, expanding the deck considerably. Abel grasped its purpose easily; it gave the cooks room to fight without tearing up the main ship.

Sanji stepped out onto the platform. Gazing calmly ahead, he taunted, "If you pirates want a fight, then bring it."

"Coool!" Luffy again shouted.

Krieg grinned. "I see... they don't want us fighting inside and destroying the restaurant. All the better for us when we take that ship." Now they wouldn't have to hold back. His grin stretched further. "Now I want that ship even more!" It really was perfect for their purposes. They could sneak up on their enemies _and_ engage them without damaging the ship.

Abel happily stepped out onto the deck, getting some breathing space from the others. She made sure to stay towards the back to make the most of her ranged abilities. The rest of the cooks fanned out as well. Abel's hands moved to her crossbows as the pirates started swimming towards them. The deck was a bit of a double-edged sword. It gave them more room to fight, but it gave the pirates just as much room.

The pirates smirked as they began climbing aboard, weapons at the ready. "Just what can a couple of measly cooks do against us pirates!?" they taunted.

"Don't you dare look down on us sea-faring cooks!"

Both sides rushed forward as one, crashing against each other like the waves on the shore. Cook and pirate clashed in a noise of steel, the cooks using their strange improvised weapons to meet the swords and knives of the pirates. As several pirates neared where Abel stood, Abel grasped her weapons. But before she could do anything, Sanji suddenly jumped in front of her. "I'll protect you, my sweet!"

Abel's eyes drooped at the blonde's _valiant_ efforts. But seriously, what could the man do against four men carrying swords? She didn't' particularly like the man, but she supposed letting him get hurt was counterproductive to their purpose in being here. As the men neared, Abel made a snap decision. She swiped her foot out, catching Sanji's ankle and knocking his foot out from under him. Sanji tumbled to the ground in an undignified heap. Abel's unexpected assault of her supposed comrade gave the approaching pirates pause, and gave her time to pull out a crossbow. She fired several volleys at the pirates, sending them sprawling. Staring coolly down at the chef, who gaped at her in surprise, Abel said with forced pleasantness, "Perhaps you should save your gallantry for someone in need of your assistance... like your cohorts."

The other cooks weren't faring as well. They had fighting spirit, but lacked the skill of trained killers. The pirates mowed through most of them, despite the cooks' best efforts.

"I ain't got time to play around with the likes of you!"

Abel looked up at Krieg's shout to see the man actually lift up the fish ship with one hand and toss it into the sky. The men inside screamed as they flew towards the restaurant. At her feet, Sanji growled, "All talk and no substance... useless bastards." Jumping to his feet, Sanji leapt into the air with remarkable ease and _kicked_ the fish ship away as easily as one would kick a soccer ball. His leg didn't even flinch at the impact such a heavy object clearly should have made.

"Sanji!" the cooks gasped.

"He kicked it!?"

The fish ship crashed harmlessly into the deck, shattering the wood. The men inside were probably a bit worse for the wear, but at least the restaurant was unharmed. As Sanji landed on the deck, as pretty as you please, Abel had to admit she was impressed. It seemed that Zeff had passed on his martial arts skills to Sanji.

The pirates seemed impressed as well. "W-What strength..." they muttered, pausing in their assault at the display.

"He kicked away that weird ass ship!"

From across the gap, Luffy exclaimed, "Not bad!" Everything Sanji did just made Luffy want to recruit him more.

The two men who'd piloted the fish ship burst from the wreckage, screaming in rage at Sanji's mistreatment. "Saaaaaanjiiiiiii!" Patty screamed.

The other man, Carne, added, "You trying to kill your own side!?" He wasn't as burly as Patty, but he wore small, circular shades and had a scraggly goatee.

After thinking, Sanji responded, "Yeah." Abel had to choke back a laugh at how easily he said it.

"Did your brains become boiled into stew, you retard!?" Patty shrieked, his voice hurting Abel's ears.

"You almost lost two powerful fighters, you spaghetti-head!" Carne added.

"Powerful?" They looked up at the scoffing voice. The pirates stood over the vanquished cooks arrogantly. None of the cooks looked dead, but they wouldn't be able to fight again anytime soon as they nursed various wounds. One of the pirates smirked, clearly counting this battle as over already. "Even if you hold weapons, a cook's still a cook. So why don'tcha scram back into some other kitchen on land! Don't compare us to other pirates you've crossed before! We're pirates of Don Krieg, the ruler of the East Blue!"

One of the cooks pushed himself up to his knees, brushing blood from his lip. "These guys are strong...! They're nothing like the other pirates that we've been able to beat before!"

But that apparently wasn't a good enough excuse for Patty. "Are you gonna let them beat you that easily!?" he snapped.

Carne added, "And you call yourselves fightin' cooks!?"

"So what if you're fighting cooks!?" the pirates shouted. "We fight for a living! So just quietly hand this boat over to us!" They charged at the small group left standing, weapons raised.

Abel prepared to raise her own weapon, but Patty and Carne blocked her path. The two men stood tall, shoulder to shoulder. Abel didn't lower her crossbow, but she did wait to see what they'd do. Which apparently was give a speech. Seriously, what was with people being so chatty during combat? Maybe it was because Abel was accustomed to fighting beasts that she didn't feel the need to lecture her enemies. "Ten years since I've been a cook!" Patty declared, readying his pitchfork-style weapon. "And three hundred restaurants I've gone to! Every single one of 'em, I'd get into fights and get fired! Those days were rough!"

Carne joined in, holding something that was a cross between a spear and butcher knife. "After searching and searching, we finally came to this restaurant! Here, whether it be fighting or cooking, we can do it as much as we want!"

The two drew their weapons back, ready to meet the pirates. "There ain't another place as good as this ship!" Patty yelled.

"As if we'd hand it over to you pirate scum!" Carne shouted.

As one, the two men repelled the charging pirates, sending the group scattering across the deck. As the remaining pirates reeling in surprise at the two men's vehemence, they shouted, "This is the power of fightin' cooks of the sea!" And with great gusto, they jumped into the fray, meeting the pirates blow for blow.

Abel and Sanji could only stand back and watch. They didn't really need to get involved. The two men seemed more than happy to handle things themselves. And who was Abel to argue? "They certainly don't lack for fervor," Abel observed, addressing no one in particular.

Beside her, Sanji snorted, nursing his cigarette. "All those idiots do is fight." Abel looked at the blond, genuinely (and pleasantly) surprised that the man was capable of speaking to her in a normal manner.

A splashing sound pulled her attention away from the strange blond. Peering down at the water, Abel raised an eyebrow at what she saw. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, other than something swimming towards the deck. It looked like a large metal disk with a pearl in the middle and on the top, like some turtle that decided a plain shell was too boring. But when it reached the deck, a very human hand reached up and grabbed the ledge, pulling the rest of whatever it was up. _It's a man?_ Abel thought.

Indeed. The metal disk she saw on the surface was just one of several plates attached to the man, acting as a shield. He had two identical ones on his front and back, smaller disks attached to his knees and elbows, and carried one in each hand like a cymbal. They all shone like polished silver and had a large pearl in the middle. He even wore a pearly hat. Abel didn't know if it was due to the shields, but the man had odd proportions. He was tall and seemed too broad for his tiny head. The man had a sleepy expression on his face, slicked black hair and single curl falling in the middle of his forehead.

"The hell are you guys doing...?" the strange man asked tiredly. Patty and Carne turned in surprise. But before they could react, the man smacked them both in the skull. Abel's face hurt just watching it. The man laughed, standing fully on the deck. "Behold! My invincible iron wall!"

"Pearl!" the pirates cheered.

_He must be some sort of commander for the fleet_, Abel assumed. He didn't strike her as your run-of-the-mill pirate. Based on the way the others were happy to see him, he had to hold some position over them.

Pearl laughed at the two men lying on the deck, barely clinging to consciousness. "You won't be standing after my lethal punch! You just got a good taste of my special Pearl Surprise!"

One of the pirates tried to loot a fancy kitchen knife off Patty's body. But even clinging to consciousness, Patty had enough presence of mind to keep a death grip on the instrument. This, naturally, upset the pirate. "Hey, let go!" He tried to pry the cook's hand from the knife, but the man was stubborn.

Abel watched on curiously as Sanji marched up to the pirate, unnoticed as the other kept trying to steal the knife. Abel could see the stern, quietly dark expression on Sanji's face below his mop of blond hair. The pirate looked up as Sanji's shadow loomed over him. Before he could react, Sanji launched a powerful kick to his face. Even at that distance, Abel could hear the sound of bones crunching. The pirate hurtled away, smashing into several of his comrades, sending them flying as well. They all slammed into Pearl's shield. It made a loud sound, like a cymbal, but the man barely even flinched from the impact. Wordlessly, Sanji caught the falling knife with one hand.

The cooks watched on in awe of Sanji's power. "No matter how many times I see it, his kicks are amazing." Abel had to admit, his strength was impressive.

Sanji held the knife out. "A kitchen knife is the soul of a cook," he lectured calmly. "It's not something an amateur like you should even think about touching." Abel had to wonder what he'd think of Zoro's swordsmanship. But she guessed swords and knives were different. They were intended for different purposes.

"Sanji..." Patty breathed in shock, surprised that Sanji, of all people, would defend him.

"Here..." Sanji said, handing Patty the knife back. And apparently Sanji felt the time for being compassionate had passed, because he followed that up with, "Now make sure you kick the bucket for good this time. I'll handle the rest."

The pirates must've taken exception to Sanji's cool demeanor, because a group of them charged at once. "Handle, my ass!"

"You're just a cook! You think you can take us pirates on!?"

Abel might've helped, but it didn't look like Sanji needed it. Before one of them thrust a saber his way, Sanji was gone. He backflipped and, supporting himself with his hands, Sanji did the splits in the air. Balancing solely with his hands, the cook spun his legs above himself, kicking each of the pirates in turn in the face. He finished smoothly by flipping back onto his feet and sending one final kick straight up, knocking the men back. Sanji glared darkly at the battered men. "Just a cook?" he growled, the vein in his forehead showing. "I'll kill you scum."

_He's even moodier than Adam_, Abel realized. Surely the man must have Bipolar or something. One second he's flirting his heart out, then he's cold as ice, then he's ready to rip someone's face off.

Instead of being upset about seeing his comrades lying on the deck, Pearl laughed. So much for loyalty... "Hah! To beat up all of them using only your feet, you must be rather lazy. Or is that your policy?"

"A cook's hands are his life," Sanji replied with a slight smile, his anger dissipating as quickly as it appeared. He lowered his leg smoothly to the ground, keeping his hands safely in his pockets. "I can't risk fighting with them. But don't worry. My feet'll be more than enough to take you down."

"_You_ take _me_ down?" Pearl asked incredulously. "I'm afraid that just ain't happening! In the last sixty-one fights I've been in, I've won them all without even so much as a scratch on me! You may protect your hands in a fight, but I fight while protecting my entire body." Pearl grinned proudly. "I've never even lost a single drop of blood in all the fights I've been in. Not a single drop." Pearl smashed his hand shields together, their clanging sound making Abel wince. "That's proof of my invincible strength! That's why they call me Krieg Pirates' Pearl the Iron Wall!" He smirked in a preening manner. "And my iron defense has got quiet the fashion sense. Ain't I stylish?"

"You look like a mutated turtle in my opinion," Abel couldn't stop herself from saying. Sanji smirked around his cigarette at her observation, silently agreeing.

"What an unclassy thing to say!" Pearl chided mildly, not looking too upset.

"Never disagree with a lady!" Sanji snapped. "Let's see you try to fight me without getting hurt!" Sanji sent a high sidekick Pearl's way, but the man blocked it with his elbow shield.

"I can even withstand a direct blast from a battleship cannon!" Pearl exclaimed.

A loud crash followed by Luffy's scream made Abel look past the two fighting men to see her captain in the air. She wasn't sure how he ended up that way, although she suspected Krieg had more than just a little to do with it. As the boy came hurtling towards the deck, Abel started to open her mouth to warn Sanji. Until she realized Luffy's trajectory. So instead, she just gave a hidden smirk. This would be amusing.

Oblivious to what was about to happen, Pearl grinned tauntingly at Sanji from behind his shield. "No matter the attack, I'm impenetrable!" It was almost too perfect when, immediately after that, Luffy slammed into the back of Pearl's head. And because his face had been behind the shield, this made Pearl's face smash into his own defenses.

Sanji blinked in surprise, lowering his leg. And as Luffy landed safely on the deck, Abel commented, "You're aim is improving, Boss."

Luffy looked confused, but replied, "Thanks...?"

Giving Luffy's confused expression a smile, Abel turned back to Pearl. The man hadn't reacted much. He must've been in shock about actually being hit, even if it was his own fault. Slowly, he lowered his shield and brought a hand to touch his face. The man turned disturbingly pale as he brought his hand back with blood on his fingers. His nose was bleeding.

Around them, the remaining conscious pirates started to panic. Never a good sign, in Abel's books. "It's blood! Oh shit!"

Pearl sunk to the ground, his entire body trembling like a leaf caught in a hurricane. "Blood...!" he croaked. The man looked terrified. For some reason, Abel couldn't help feeling that this current development wasn't going to be in their favor. Panic could make people do some crazy things.

It didn't help that the pirates kept trying to calm him down. "Pearl, it's fine! It's just a little nosebleed! Everyone gets those! You haven't really been hurt at all! So just calm down, Pearl!"

But Pearl didn't hear them. He was too caught up in whatever his malfunction was. "My... iron wall was broken through!" He looked up at Sanji and Luffy, his eyes resembling a captured animal. Wild and crazed. "These guys're dangerous!"

"The hell's up with him?" Sanji asked, watching the man warily.

Luffy shook his head, not having an answer. "It's just a little nosebleed."

Trembling in what Abel could only think was fright, Pearl starting banging his hand shields together, creating one of the worst rackets Abel'd ever heard. Behind him, Krieg shouted at him, "Pearl! Stop it! There's no need to go wild over a nosebleed! This ain't the jungle!"

But the man was too far gone to listen to reason. "Danger! Danger!" he screamed over and over again. He clanged the shields together faster. Then suddenly his entire body burst into flames!

Sanji and Luffy staggered back, raising their arms instinctively to shield themselves from the heat of the blaze. It was so hot, it burned blue. "Fire!" Luffy gasped.

"Those pearls on his shields must have some pyrotechnic properties," Abel suggested. That was the only conclusion she could reach, because it wasn't his body on fire, per se. It was the shields. And Abel didn't know of any metal that could ignite on its own, so the only thing left was the pearls.

The pirates edged farther away from the panicking comrade. "Crap! He's doing that thing he learned to do while growing up in the jungle!"

"Back in the jungle full of wild beasts, every time Pearl felt that he was in danger he would light a fire!"

Pearl threw his hands in the air, and Abel noticed he held several smaller pearls between his fingers. She had a sinking suspicion she knew what they were for. "Don't you dare get close to me!" Pearl all but shrieked. "Fire Pearls..." Abel drew both crossbows and took aim. "Special Treat!"

As she expected, Pearl threw the smaller pearls at Sanji and Luffy. They ignited almost immediately. The boys gasped, too close to properly dodge without getting burned. Abel fired as quickly as she could. Her bolts collided with the pearls. The bolts weren't heavy enough to stop them, but they did change the trajectory of the pearls, sending them careening away from the boys. Abel herself had to duck to avoid being hit in the head by one. Some of the redirected pearls fell harmlessly in the water, but most flew into the crowd of pirates, setting them on fire.

"Thanks, Abel!" Luffy called, wiping his brow. "That was close!"

"Your gratitude is a bit premature," Abel dismissed, looking behind her. While she'd prevented them from getting hurt, the pearls had landed on the deck, setting parts of the ship ablaze. Not exactly her intention...

"Burn!" Pearl shrieked, having come down from his panic a bit but still in a murderous mood. "With my flame shield, my iron wall is now even more invincible!" Abel staggered back a few steps as the flames picked up on the deck. They surrounded Pearl making it hard for anyone to get near. Over the inferno, she heard the pirates yell to jump into the ocean. A smart move. In the middle of the fire, Pearl taunted, "Can't get near me, can you!?"

Abel tried to aim at the man through the flames. But before she could get off a good shot, Sanji rushed in front of her, cursing under his breath. Ignoring the protests of his fellow cooks, Sanji raced headlong into the flames with so much as a flinch. "Don't you dare burn this restaurant down!" he shouted. Sanji somersaulted over the flames, avoiding being burned. As he fell, he stretched his long leg out and twisted around. He tried to kick Pearl in the head, but the man raised his flaming shield, blocking it.

As Sanji jumped back, Pearl sputtered, "H-How could you attack me!? Even animals flee in fear of my fire!?"

"Idiot," Sanji said with a snort. Holding his cigarette between his fingers, he pointed at Pearl. "How could a chef ever cook if he was afraid of fire?"

"D-Damn you!" Pearl cursed, Sanji's smooth attitude galvanizing him. "Why you dandy son of a..." Pearl raised his fist. "Fire Pearl Present!" He tried to punch Sanji with his flaming shield, but Sanji ducked into a forward roll. Placing his hands on the ground, Sanji snapped his foot up, catching Pearl in the face with his heel. Rolling with his momentum, Sanji pushed Pearl back, sending the man sprawling out.

From the water, the pirates watched in awe as Sanji showed zero fear of the flame defense. "He got him!"

"He slipped past Pearl's iron wall!"

"Who is this cook!? He's serious trouble!"

Pearl held his face, gawking at Sanji in horror. "My... my face...! Danger! He's too dangerous! More fire! More fire pearls!" Pearl willed the flames higher, and more flaming pearls shot through.

Abel ducked as several pearls shot over her head. Staying low, she spun around to see them all heading for the restaurant... and Zeff. "You might want to consider dodging," she warned, but the old man didn't seem concerned in the slightest. He just stood in front of the broken doorway, arms crossed over his chest. Wondering if he'd suddenly gone senile, Abel raised her bows, but hesitated. If she fired from behind, she'd just send the pearls to their destination faster.

"Sir! Run away!" the cooks pleaded.

Then something very surprising happened. As the pearls got within range, Zeff swiped at them with his peg leg. The wind kicked up by his movement extinguished the flames, resulting in the pearls bouncing harmlessly against the wall.

Abel had to admit, she was surprised and impressed. She could already tell by his attitude that he didn't feel hampered by his loss, but she didn't expect him to retain that much skill. Lowering her weapons, Abel said, "Apologies, but I didn't expect you to have so much... kick left in you."

Zeff snorted, looking at the archer coolly. Although her choice of words did seem to amuse him somewhat. Maybe. It was hard to tell. "I may have lost one leg, but this is nothing I can't handle."

"Old Man, that was amazing!" Luffy complimented.

As Pearl continued to holler and scream, Abel felt sudden cold chill. It felt like cold water dripping down her spine. Abel's back immediately stiffened, and she frowned slightly. _Why do I feel so cold when I'm standing in the middle of Armageddon?_ she asked herself. She should be burning up right now, not breaking out in goosebumps.

Unexpectedly, the boat shifted, tilting to one side. Abel gasped in surprise and quickly righted her balance before her fleet slid out from under her. The deck dipped so low that part of it went underwater. And as it swayed back, water rushed along the deck, dousing the flames. Pearl let out a cry as a rather large wave loomed over him, crashing down and pulling him into the sea. The cooks sighed in relief that the flames were gone. "Lucky that wave came along when it did," Luffy commented happily.

"I don't think that was a wave..." Sanji protested.

He was right. It wasn't a wave that had rocked the boat. It was another pirate. Everyone watched warily as a new man climbed up on the deck from the sea. The newcomer was tall and lanky, but had some build to him. His skin was almost ethereally pale, with ridiculously long black hair that hung wetly over his face and shoulder, sharp features and large brown eyes. And was that seaweed in his hair? He wore a baggy black shirt that clung to him like a second skin thanks to the water, dark pants and no shoes. Around his neck he wore a rawhide necklace with a simple metal bar. Abel didn't miss the heavy-looking brass knuckles on each hand. Despite his wiry appearance, this man obviously preferred hand-to-hand combat. And after running with Luffy, Abel knew better than to judge someone based on appearances alone.

"Abimelech!" the pirates cheered.

The man, Abimelech, glanced over his shoulder and down into the water. "Take some time to cool that hot head of yours, Pearl. What good is this fighting if you burn the ship down in the process?" He turned back to face the restaurant. "I'll take care of these guys without destroying our prize."

"You'll take care of us, eh?" Sanji drawled, looking unimpressed. "You think you can do better than your friend?" Abimelech just smiled lightly in response, raising his fists. The brass knuckles gleamed in the sunlight.

Sanji and Abimelech lunged at each other at the same time. Abimelech swung his fist, but Sanji leaned back, avoiding being hit in the jaw. While stretching back, Sanji kicked his foot up, trying to hit the other man while he was still close. Abimelech moved just enough to the side to avoid it, Sanji's foot just rustling is wet hair a bit. Reaching out with both hands, Abimelech grabbed Sanji's jacket and hoisted the skinny blond into the air. "Hey! What's the big idea!? Let me go!" Sanji shouted, squirming to get loose from the other's grip.

Of course Abimelech just ignored the man. Instead, he carried Sanji over to the side of the deck. It was pretty obvious he intended to throw Sanji overboard. "Why not take a dip to cool that hot head?" Abimelech suggested, almost sounding pleasant. Sanji struggled harder, but the man had sure had a strong grip for someone so skinny. Sanji probably could have just taken his jacket off to escape the hold, but Abimelech had him by the front of his jacket so he couldn't reach the buttons.

"Let Sanji go!" Luffy yelled, stretching an arm out to grab one of Abimelech's wrists. With a jerk, he spun the pirate around, causing his hold of Sanji to waver and drop him gracelessly to the ground.

Rather than showing gratitude for Luffy's aid, Sanji snapped at him, "Be more careful next time!" But he quickly climbed to his feet regardless, straightening his jacket. Sanji frowned at the wet stains on his clothes. Why was this guy still soaking wet?

"Sorry!" Luffy replied, pulling his arm back.

Or at least, he tried to. Luffy stared blankly at the other man when his hand didn't come back to him like he willed. Even though Luffy had released his hold on Abimelech's wrist, his hand stayed attached. He gave another pull, thinking it was some weird fluke. But it barely moved. "I'm stuck!" he shouted, mostly in surprise. Even though his hand was clearly open, it stuck to the man's wrist. Abimelech just stood there, watching with a small amount of smugness on his pale face.

"Is there something on his shirt making it sticky?" Sanji asked, eyeing the man. That would explain why his shirt stuck to his torso, despite looking several sizes too big.

"But I'm not touching his shirt," Luffy correctly pointed out. Indeed, his hand was simply on the man's bare wrist. Even if there was some substance on his shirt, Luffy wasn't touching it and thus shouldn't be getting stuck. And it didn't look like Abimelech was going to spill the secret any time soon.

Around them, the cooks began to wonder what was up with all the strange men in Krieg's crew. But maybe that's what made them so fearsome. "Does he have Devil Fruit power too?" they wondered.

"Impossible," Abel answered, studying the man carefully. "We saw him emerge from the water. Devil Fruit users can't swim, thus he can't have eaten a Devil Fruit. Furthermore, based on the reactions of Krieg and his crew to Luffy, they'd never seen a genuine Devil Fruit power before." But that didn't mean there wasn't something else strange going on.

Apparently having had his fill of being mysterious, Abimelech took hold of Luffy's outstretched arm and said, "How about going for a relaxing swim?" He started pulling Luffy closer.

Luffy tried to dig his heels into deck, but flip-flops didn't exactly offer a lot of traction. "I'll pass, thanks!" he protested before running to the far side of the deck. If he couldn't get his hand free, maybe he could just keep stretching?

Abel didn't understand why Luffy was sticking to the other pirate, but she wasn't about to let him toss her captain into the ocean. It might not be Devil Fruit, but maybe Abimelech still controlled what it was. If that was the case, maybe Abel could... persuade him to let go. With the in mind, Abel fired a few rounds from the crossbow. Abimelech saw them coming and leaned out of the way. He avoided getting hit, but one of the bolts did graze against his necklace. The bolt snapped the rawhide, causing his necklace to flutter to the deck.

Unexpectedly, Luffy's hand came free in that instant, snapping back and almost hitting Sanji in the recoil. "Watch it, you rubber idiot!" Sanji snapped. Had he not ducked in time, he probably would've taken that dip.

"Sorry, sorry!" Luffy replied before grinning at his comrade. "Thanks, Abel!"

Abel nodded in acknowledgement. "You're welcome, but you may want to pay attention." She pointed at Abimelech, who just stood there, staring almost mournfully at his necklace. His hands were in tight fists, shaking slightly. But the look on Abimelech's face was one of pain, not anger. Soon, the shaking engulfed his entire body, and the man held his head, folding in on himself.

Sanji's legs tensed. "Another freak out?" If the idiot Pearl had nearly burnt them to a crisp with his tantrum, what would this guy do? "These pirates really need to get a grip."

They expected Abimelech to do something reckless, but whatever was going on seemed to cause the man too much pain. It seemed odd that a simple necklace would warrant such a reaction. Their apprehension turned to terror as black enveloped Abimelech's form before their eyes. It spread to his hands, then his face, and then down his legs. It was like his shirt had stretched out to devour his body! Soon his form looked more like a shadow without an owner. And maybe it was an illusion caused by staring at pure shadows, but it looked like the man's body was... changing. His form shifted, almost coming down to all fours. His body grew, his arms stretching, his face growing longer, and his legs seemed to meld together. When the darkness faded from whatever was left of Abimelech's body, no one could believe their eyes. It was...

"Monster!" someone screamed.

Abel had to agree, feeling adrenaline turn her blood into ice water. It was no man that stood before then now. What had replaced him looked like a merging of horse and fish. From the waist up it had the body of a Clydesdale horse. Strong, powerful muscles rippled under black as night skin as it stamped heavy hooved feet on the deck. The long, draping hair with seaweed still in it was the only indication that this was still the same being as before. But from the waist down the body was that of a fish. Or maybe a dolphin. It slimmed down into a long, flexible, muscular tail, ending in a set of hair-like fins. But what Abel found most disturbing was its skin. Imagine what a horse would look like after you peeled away the skin so that only its musculature was visible. That's what this thing looked like, except its muscles _were_ the skin. And they seemed to be constantly dripping with water, almost is if the skin itself were a liquid.

Things quickly came together in Abel's mind. _Masquerading as a human... body of a horse and fish combined... wet, sticky skin... trying to get people in the water..._ The name of this creature came almost unbidden to Abel. "It's a kelpie."

Sanji and Luffy looked back at the archer. "You mean the demon horse thing?" Luffy asked.

Abel was already pulling out her other crossbow. "That's not a completely inaccurate description, although some has classified it as a type of faery - a shapeshifting, supernatural being. They're known for luring people, especially children, to ride on their backs. Then, once they're stuck and unable to escape, they drown them." Her eyes shifted to the rawhide necklace still on the ground. Now that she thought about it, it resembled the bit on a bridle used for a horse. "Stories also say they can masquerade as a human to lure more victims. That necklace was what allowed it to stay in human form for so long."

Even the pirates seemed shocked to see their comrade's true form. "Don! Did you know about this!?" They were white with fear, thinking about all the time they'd spent with this... this monster!

But even Krieg looked a bit shaken by this turn. "Of course not!" He quickly regained his composure, however. "But does it matter? So long as it's strong and follows my orders, I see no problems having a demon in my fleet."

"Then you're more daft then I first suspected," Abel retorted. She gave the captain a wry glance. "Demons and spirits have no loyalty other than to themselves. If it did follow your orders, it was only because they suited _it_. Had it grown tired of its charade, it would've gone back to the sea... and taken you with it." Not all of them were necessarily "evil," but they followed their own whims. It didn't matter to most of them if that helped or hurt people.

Abimelech let out a high-pitched whinny, causing almost everyone to cover their ears. Abel winced as the sound shot straight through her, but still raised her bows. But before she could fire, Abimelech turned and dived into the water, his back arcing gracefully. Abel hurried to the side of the deck and peered down into the water. She knew her crossbows would be useless while he was in the water. She'd have to wait him out. Cautiously, she took a few steps back, away from the ledge. However, before she got too far, a long tail shot out of the water and, as prehensile as a monkey's, wrapped around her ankle. The tail pulled her into the water. Abel's back hit the deck, the impact knocking her crossbows from her hands. She barely had time to take a breath before the tail pulled her under.

"Abel!" Luffy shouted.

Sanji ran towards the ledge, intent on jumping in to save the damsel, when someone gave a pained cry behind him before another voice said darkly, "Hold it right there, Sanji."

Sanji's head whipped around. His eyes widened as the scene before him. It was his worst nightmare. Gin stood over Zeff, the man sprawled on his stomach after Gin had broken his peg leg. Gin stared darkly at Sanji, all the while pointing a double-barrel shotgun at Zeff's head.

In the ocean, Abel struggled to crunch her stomach, curling down towards her feet. Thanks to Abimelech's speed, the rushing water made it difficult for her to move. But she knew she had to do something, otherwise she'd drown. It was the kelpie's classic modus operandi. But Abel knew she couldn't just shake her leg free, thanks to whatever property made the kelpie's skin so sticky. She'd once read a story of a boy whose hand got stuck when he pet a kelpie's nose and he had to cut off his own hand. Abel wasn't planning on going that far, but it did give her an idea.

Fighting against the water, Abel curled down and pulled out one of her throwing knives. She stretched her arms out, grabbing Abimelech's tail with one hand. That should prevent her from falling back. She needed to be efficient with her movement or she used up too much oxygen. With as much strength as she could manage underwater, Abel jabbed the knife into Abimelech's tail. The kelpie let out a shriek, not distorted in the slightest by the water. But Abel didn't stop there. With a sawing motion, she started cutting through Abimelech's tail. The beast snarled and snorted, pausing his is descent to flail his lower half in an attempt to shake off Abel's assault without actually releasing her. But Abel was relentless, and thankfully there was only muscle this far back. With one last tug, she sliced the end of his tail clean off.

Free from the kelpie's grasp, Abel initiated her own attack. Rather than make for the surface, like a sane person would do, Abel surprised Abimelech by grabbing onto his neck, digging one hand deeply into his long mane. Before he could react, she stabbed him in the eye with her knife. Abimelech shrieked and his thrashing began anew. But between Abel's grip and his sticky skin, he couldn't shake her off.

In a blind panic, Abimelech started swimming, shooting through the water in an attempt to get the woman off. But with the pain from his damaged eye and Abel kneeing him hard in the side and back, it was difficult to go in a straight line. Abel held tight, trying to steer the beast towards the surface. On dry land she'd have a better chance of defending herself. She kept her eyes on the light from the surface, and kicked or pulled at Abimelech any time he veered from that path. At this point, survival had taken over, and any higher brain functions the kelpie had were replaced solely by animal instinct. And those instincts said get this person off at all costs.

As they broke the surface, crashing into the sky, Abel took a deep breath, her lungs heaving at the new air. She didn't have time to register much more as the two came crashing on to the deck with a heavy, wet thud. Ignoring the pain in her side, Abel held tight to Abimelech as he struggled against her. She had to keep to his side lest he trample her with those strong hooves. If she could see herself, she'd have realized she was quite a sight. A slim woman literally grappling with a beast. It wasn't really her style, but she needed to find some way to immobilize him. He'd flee if she let him go.

Abimelech's tail, or what was left of it, wrapped around her like a snake and flung her from his body. Abel skidded against the deck, and several cooks had to roll out of her way. With her blood singing, Abel was quick to her feet, drawing her bow. She'd worry about where her crossbows went later. She quickly nocked an arrow and took aim. Abimelech was already crawling to the ledge. As he ducked his head to jump, Abel loosed her arrow. It struck Abimelech in the side, right below the shoulder and into the lung, embedding down to the fletching. The kelpie let out a shrill cry, collapsing to the deck in a heap. His back heaved as he struggled to breath with an arrow lancing him.

Abel nocked another arrow, this time taking the time to aim properly. It didn't look like the kelpie was going anywhere now. She drew her bow back fully, aimed for the temple and -

"Abel! Please don't!"

The utter desperation in Sanji's cry broke through Abel's concentration. She looked up, only now taking in her surroundings. It seemed a lot had happened in the short time she was gone. At least she assumed it was short - it's hard to tell when you're pumped up on adrenaline. Pearl was back on the deck, looking as smug as ever. Sanji lay propped up against the railing, bleeding from the head. But most strikingly, Gin stood over Zeff pointing a gun at his head. "What have you all been doing while I was indisposed of?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Please, stay your hand," Sanji pleaded again. "If we attack them, he'll kill the old geezer," he growled. Abel could tell how it pained Sanji to not fight back.

Abel slowly slid her eyes from the cook to Gin. He didn't look like he wanted to do this, but seemed resolved nonetheless. Abel eyed the shotgun warily. _At that range he'll blow Zeff's head off_, she realized. But even so, she couldn't lower her bow, still trained on the panting kelpie.

Sanji tilted his head slightly, his hair blocking his face. "Gin, you cheap son of a bitch..." he growled. "There's no way I can accept your conditions!"

Gin didn't look happy to hear this. "Why not!?" he demanded, but he sounded more... desperate than angry. "It's simple! Just leave this ship and you can spare everyone's lives! All you have to do is leave!"

"This ship is the geezer's treasure!" Sanji shouted, his voice strong in spite of his injuries. Abel watched as Sanji gripped his precious hand tightly, his expression dark with what Abel could only say was regret. In a soft voice, Sanji explained, "I took everything away from that dam geezer. His strength! His dreams! Which is why I don't want him to lose anything else!" The sheer force of Sanji's convictions stunned the others into silence.

"Eggplant... now's not the time to ramble about ancient history," Zeff chided mildly, his voice thick with some unknown emotion.

"Shut up!" Sanji snapped back. "I told you not to treat me like a kid anymore!"

"Sanji, watch out!" Patty warned.

But Pearl was already behind him. "Pearl Close!" He smashed Sanji's head and neck in between his two hand shields. Blood shot from his mouth as he slumped lifelessly to the deck.

"Sanji!" Abel's eyes narrow, and Luffy looked like he could barely contain himself. Probably the only reason he was, was because of that gun at Zeff's head. Cowards...

As Sanji's head hit the deck, Pearl grinned and said, "I'm tired of listening to his problems. Service Pearl!" Using his shields to hit the deck, Pearl propelled himself into the air. It was painfully obvious what he intended to do next.

Luffy glared at Gin as he kept his hostage. "This is dirty, Gin!" he growled, wanting nothing more than to punch the pirate in the face.

"This is how we fight!" Gin snapped back, but he sounded more than a little panicked. "This is your fault anyways! All you need is to hand over the ship to us and it'd be all over!"

Abel could feel her ire starting to rise. _Of all the back-ass backwards logic I've ever heard, this is by far the worst._

Pearl loomed above Sanji's prone form. "Tarnished Silver Present!" Pearl dive-bombed Sanji, crushing into his torso. Abel could hear the ribs snap over Sanji's scream. As he slumped to the deck, twitching with every breath, Pearl stood over him, gloating. "Behold my iron wall!" he laughed.

The cooks began to murmur, wondering what Sanji couldn't possibly have taken from the owner that warranted throwing his life away. "Just what the hell happened, Sanji!?"

For a long moment, there was only the sound of Pearl laughed, punctuated occasionally by Abimelech's shuttering breathing. Abel worried that Sanji might truly be down for the count. But slowly, Sanji began moving. He pushed himself up onto his knees and elbows, wincing in pain from his ribs. He kept his head against the deck, and slammed his fist against the wooden floor. He choked back what sounded suspiciously like tears. "... you ate your own leg and gave me all the food..." he whimpered. "You saved my life..."

Abel's eyes widened as she pieced the story together, like some nightmarish jigsaw puzzle. Zeff talking about understanding what it was like to starve... Sanji's guilt over Zeff saving his life... Sometime in the past the two must've been in some situation where they'd been starving, Zeff gave Sanji food but kept none for himself, but instead cut off his own leg to eat, thus ending his career as a pirate. _That's one hell of a story_, she thought.

Staggering, Sanji managed to get to his feet. He stood facing Pearl, resolute. "I'm not handing over this restaurant," he announced. "And I won't let you kill the damn geezer either." Sanji smirked as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. Abel could feel the bravado practically dripping off him. "He's a geezer who gave up everything for the sake of one little brat. If I can't even put my life at risk to save him, then I can never repay my debt to him!"

Zeff pushed himself up slightly. "Sanji! Don't do any more unnecessary things. I'm not so old and feeble yet that I need to be rescued by a little eggplant!"

"You're one to talk," Sanji retorted without looking at the old man, loosening his tie. "If you hadn't given up your leg for my sake, then these guys wouldn't be able to push you around."

Behind them, the cooks began muttering to themselves. Perhaps now they had a better understanding of the two men. "Never would've imagined that two people who argue with each other all the time would share such a deep relationship..." But not everyone chose to express affection through smiles and hugs.

Gin shook his head in disbelief. "Why... why do you still stand up, Sanji!?"

"Because some people actually stand up for what they believe in," Abel answered instead. "They're not such spineless cowards that they can't choose between conflicting obligations."

"What are you getting at?" Gin asked, glaring at the woman. He wasn't sure what she was getting at, but he didn't like her tone.

Abel spotted her crossbows lying on the ground not far away. Un-nocking her arrow, she put the two away and walked over to them. Keeping her moves smooth so Gin didn't get trigger-happy, Abel slid the crossbows into their holsters, feeling much better with their weight against her legs. Only then did she glance over at Gin. "I thought it was obvious, but I'll spell it out for you. You're a coward."

Gin's glare deepened, and the pirates started shouting at her. "Who are you calling a coward, you hussy!? Gin's the strongest among us! Only the Don's stronger!"

Their taunted didn't bother Abel. Like she cared what idiots thought of her. "He's a coward because he refuses to pick a side when his obligations go against each other. He's obligated to Krieg as a crewman, but he refused to actually fight. He's obligated to Sanji for saving his life, yet he refuses to _not_ take part in this battle." Her hazel eyes pierced into Gin's. He might not want to admit it, but everything she was saying was true. "Everything you've done is to soothe your own conscience. But a man cannot serve two masters. If you're going to serve your captain, then do it. Try to kill Sanji yourself. But don't tie his hands so he can't fight back and do it under the guise of trying to save him." Gin's gun, like his resolve, wavered. But the man was still to cowardly to act.

As Sanji faced down Pearl, the pirate laughed haughtily. "Still haven't had enough of my Pearl Presents!? You don't have a chance of winning! The end result is all that matters in this world! If you lose, then you're a loser! No other way about it! It doesn't matter if you take hostages! The last man standing is the victor!" Pearl looked over his shoulder at his captain. "Isn't that right, Don Krieg!?"

"Exactly," Krieg answered with no hesitation.

Abel resisted snorting. _Like your opinion really holds weight with me_.

Pearl turned to face the front again. "Right, Gin!?" Gin flinched, but didn't answer. Pearl chuckled. "Guess it's not even necessary to ask. You are the one holding him hostage, after all... In any case, you'll lose without laying even a finger on us in the end. So why do you still stand!? You'll only be beaten to a bloody pulp if you do!"

Sanji grinned, and with both confidence and resolve, said, "I want to preserve this restaurant, if even just one second longer."

Abel and Luffy shared a look. Somehow, without saying a word, they understood each other. This had gone on for long enough. Was the blond really going to throw his life away just to preserve the restaurant a second longer? What good would that do? How would that repay his debt? Once he was dead, the pirates would still be there.

Pearl's grating laugh rang Abel's ears. "Well, well... ain't that a flashy last stand!? But the time to close up this restaurant is now at hand! From now on, it'll be a pirate ship! Double-Certain Pearl Present!" Pearl punched Sanji in the face with his shield. Sanji's head snapped around hard enough to give him whiplash, and sent him flying into the railing again. Pain was obvious in Sanji's movements as he rolled upright, leaning against the railing again. He tried to wipe the blood from his mouth, but there was too much. He just ended up smearing it. But he didn't try to fight back. Sanji's stared at Zeff, the old man still held hostage. It must've been killing him to be that helpless.

Luffy couldn't stand to watch this any longer. With a cry of frustration, he stretched his leg straight up into the air, the farthest Abel'd even seen. This, of course, caught everyone's attention. "Stop, you idiot!" Sanji yelled. "Don't attack him!"

But Luffy, being Luffy, paid no heed. "Gum-Gum Battle Axe!" Luffy brought his leg down with such speed and force that, when it hit the deck, it shattered it into pieces. Pirates and cooks flew through the air, tossed around like ragdolls by the force. Abel had to jump back several feet to avoid falling into the sea as the deck splintered into large chunks. The fin actually broke off from the main ship. Thankfully most of the pieces still floated, however. And it didn't look like anyone had been hurt.

But Abel did notice that Abimelech had disappeared. Whether he'd gone into the water by accident or choice, she didn't know. She nearly frowned, not liking the idea of letting a monster go. But she had a feeling he was still around somewhere.

"The fins have been broken!"

"Gin!" Krieg shouted. "Just blow that damn geezer's head off!"

Before he could, however, Luffy argued, "Hey, I haven't laid a single finger on you guys."

"Don't tell me you're so low a man that you won't even abide by your own ultimatum," Abel added, rubbing salt in the wound.

"The hell do you think you're doing, chore boy!?" Sanji yelled.

Luffy calmness in comparison was a bit disconcerting to anyone who knew what the rubber boy was normally like. "I'll sink this ship."

"What!?"

"He's gonna sink this ship!?" Abel almost laughed at how both sides seem to be in agreement that Luffy couldn't do that. Neither the cooks nor the pirates wanted Luffy to sink the ship. Their yelling made that quite clear.

Over their shouting, Abel heard Krieg add, "Gin! Don't just stand there! Kill Zeff already!" But one glance at the wishy-washy pirate told Abel he still couldn't follow that order. Zeff's life wasn't determined by the ship's survival, after all.

But the person probably the angriest was Sanji. Which was ironic, considering Abel knew Luffy was doing this for him. He grabbed the straw hat and shook him a few times. "Are you out of your mind!? Do you realize why I slaved away on this ship for all that time!?"

"But if the ship's destroyed, their plans will be ruined," Luffy pointed out calmly.

Abel grinned lightly. "Interesting idea, Boss." She glanced back at the restaurant, which amazingly had avoided any damage thus far. "Without this ship, neither side would have a reason to keep fighting." Strangely, the person who should have been most upset, Zeff, just chuckled. But that wasn't too surprising. For all his bravado, it was pretty clear to Abel he valued Sanji's life more than some hunk of wood.

Sanji scowled at Luffy. "You have no idea what this restaurant means to me, nor the gravity of my debt!" He wasn't going to let Luffy destroy the ship any more than he'd let the pirates take it.

Now it was Luffy's turn to scowl. "So you're planning to die for this restaurant?" He knocked Sanji's hand away. "What are you, stupid!?"

"What!?"

Luffy grabbed Sanji's collar and pulled their faces close. "YOU WON'T BE REPAYING ANY DEBT BY DYING!" he screamed, his eyes flaring his rage. "That's not what he saved you for!" Sanji was so stunned by Luffy's passion that he couldn't respond. A frown creased Luffy's brow. "To throw away your life and die like this after being saved... that's what a weakling does!"

Sanji's temper returned, and he grabbed Luffy's shirt. "Well, it's not like you know of a better way out of this mess!"

"Now, now," Pearl chided, having come to his senses. Luffy and Sanji stopped arguing and stared at the man like they'd forgotten he was still there. "Stop the fighting, you two. It's just your bad fortune to have gone up against the Krieg Pirates. You picked the wrong enemies. There's nothin' you can do against us! As long as we have a hostage, that is!" Pearl rushed at them, both shields flaming bright. "I'll burn you to death with my Fire Pearls!"

Abel tensed, hands automatically reaching for her crossbows. But the sound of wood and metal clacking against the deck interrupted her. She stared in surprise to see the shotgun Gin had been using to hold Zeff hostage on the deck. The man in question ran to meet Pearl, holding what looked like two tonfas with iron balls on the end. With one hit of those tonfas, Pearl's shield shattered into scrap. Blood poured from Pearl's mouth at the damage such force would no doubt do to one's body.

"Gin!?" Luffy gasped.

As Pearl slowly crumbled to the ground, Gin straightened and said, "Sorry Pearl, but I need you to get out of my way for a little while."

"W... why... Gin...?" was all he could manage before hitting the deck. And Abel suspected it was for good, this time.

"Gin!" Krieg raged. "You dare betray me!?"

Gin kept his head low. "My apologies, Don Krieg. But please allow me to put an end to our saviors with my own two hands."

Abel crossed her arms. "So you've finally decided to pick a side." It wasn't a question, but a statement. Maybe it wasn't ideal to add to their list of enemies, but she'd rather deal with an obvious enemy that one who lacked conviction.

"See? Things worked out pretty well, didn't it? My lure out strategy worked," Luffy tried to play it off like this was his intention in the first place.

But Sanji knew better. "Shut up, you liar! Your strategy was to destroy this ship!" And it didn't sound like he'd forgiven him yet.

From across the gap, Krieg looked displeased. "Have you lost your mind, my Pirate Fleet's Battle Commander Gin?"

Gin faced Sanji squarely. His expression was somewhat remorseful, but sincere and resolute at the same time. "Sanji, I wanted you to leave this ship without hurting you. But it seems things can't be that way."

"No, they can't," Sanji replied.

"Then it's like she said." Gin nodded slightly to Abel, was off to the side of the deck. "The least I could do is kill you myself. That's the solution I've arrived at."

"Why, thank you," Sanji said flatly while lighting a new cigarette. If the man smoked like this all the time it's a wonder he had any lung capacity left to fight at all. "Now kindly eat shit and die."

Snorting at how blasé Sanji was about the whole thing, Gin turned to Luffy next. "You too, Straw Hat. It would've been best for you to leave with your crewmates earlier."

"Nah," Luffy retorted so eloquently. "It's not as if I could ever be beaten by weaklings like you."

This set the pirates to shouting again. "T-They just called us weaklings and told our Commander off!"

"We're the Krieg Pirates, the strongest pirate crew in all the East Blue!"

Glancing at the pirates shouting insults and trying to look tough while floating in the sea like corks, Abel commented, "Even ants can be a nuisance when there's a billion of them." Her casual rebuff stunned the pirates so badly that they froze in the water.

"Looks like you hit the nail on the head," Sanji stated.

Luffy nodded, agreeing with his crewmate's assessment. "They're not strong; there are just a lot of them."

"Idiots!" one of the cooks shouted. "Don't provoke them anymore!"

"You're still up against Don Krieg! His strength's the real thing!"

"You dimwits!" Patty shouted from the doorway where he and Carne stood guard over Zeff. But the old man seemed none the worse for wear. In fact, he seemed quite amused at the three's attitude when staring down a fleet of pirates.

The pirates let out a battle cry, swimming for the deck as fast as they could. "That's it! Let's kill them ourselves!"

But before they even set one foot on the broken platform, Krieg shouted, "Step back, all of you!" The pirates came to an abrupt halt and gaped back at their captain, who sat casually against what was left of his ship's mast. Instead of being angry at his crew being called weak, the man looked rather unconcerned. "A person who gets angry just for being called weak, is indirectly admitting that he's weak," he rationalized. Abel thought that was the only smart thing she'd ever heard the man say. Practicing what he preached, Krieg just grinned. "The final result is what decides who's strong and who's not. I'm still standing here so don't you start whining for nothing."

"Yes, Don!" the pirates quickly agreed.

"Talk about leadership..." Patty breathed.

Zeff nodded. "His title 'Don' as the Fleet Admiral of fifty ships isn't just for show." Getting pirates to follow one leader was no small feat. Getting fifty ships worth of them was almost impossible for someone who didn't possess both cunning and strength. Criminals didn't swear allegiance to just anyone.

"You there, brat," Krieg called, no doubt speaking to Luffy. "Who do you think is more fit become the Pirate King? You for me?"

"Me," Luffy answered easily.

"Hey! Don't agg him on any further!" Patty shouted.

Luffy stared back at the cook in confusion. "Why?" He saw no reason to lie about it.

Luffy's attitude seemed to be getting to Krieg, as the man's expression clearly showed he was losing his cool. Climbing to his feet, Krieg slowly pulled one of his pauldrons off. "All right, move it men," he ordered.

His men started to get nervous. "It can't be...!"

Krieg held his pauldron out in front of him, holding it like one would a shield... or a gun. "It's time to teach that dreamer brat over there the true meaning of strength."

A shriek went out among the pirates. "It's... the MH5!"

"Don, wait!" Gin pleaded.

"I'm sure that reaction can only mean good things," Abel muttered.

Luffy wasn't so sure what the fuss was about. "If it's just a cannonball, I'll just bounce it back you know!" But Abel suspected it wasn't just a cannonball Krieg had up his sleeve... or pauldron. For one it wasn't big enough to fire a cannonball. But more importantly, his crew wouldn't have been begging him not to use _just_ a cannonball. Who knew what someone as devious a Krieg had in mind?

"Please, Don!" Gin continued. "Allow me to kill this man with my own h-"

"Whether you kill him or I do, the result is the same," Krieg interrupted. "You know that there's nothing I hate more than foolishly naive things like _honor_ or _compassion_." He sneered, as if just the words made him sick. "Listen well. This is a battle we're in. And in a battle, you fight to win. So all you have to do is win!" A whirling noise issued from the pauldron, and Abel watched in fascination as the skull on the pauldron rose, opening its mouth. The sideburns on the symbol were actually two panels, and they swung open to reveal a large hole in the pauldron. Like the muzzle of a gun. "Even if it means using a poison gas bomb!"

"P-Poison gas!?" Sanji exclaimed.

"Don!" Gin again protested. But to no effect.

Krieg grinned wickedly. "One whiff of this'll be enough to render your entire body immobile."

_Well, crap..._ Abel thought. How were they going to get out of this one?

"This is strength!" Krieg shouted as he fire the shield like a rocket launcher.

The pirates put on special gas mask, no doubt necessary to protect them from their own captain's attack. The cooks dived into the sea, hoping the gas wouldn't be able to travel into the water.

Luffy's head snapped around to his crewmate. "Abel! Can you shoot it out of the sky!?"

"Yes, except I'm reasonably certain voluntarily detonating a gas bomb is suicide." She didn't know how far the gas would travel, and until she did Abel wasn't comfortable shooting it. They needed another plan. Abel quickly studied the impending missile. It was reasonably small, made of a solid metal sphere, no doubt containing the gas, with a half sphere in the back holding the propulsion fluid. Thinking quickly, Abel asked Luffy, "Boss, can you bounce that back without breaking it?" It should only rupture if it hit something solid. Would hitting Luffy's rubbery skin be enough to break it?

"No problem!" Luffy quickly agreed. "I'll just knock it down into the sea!" Luffy raced forward, ignoring Sanji's protests. He leapt into the air, already taking a deep breath. "Gum-Gum Balloon!" Luffy body inflated like a living air bag.

The missile hit Luffy's skin... and exploded! But not into gas. Into a hail of shurikens! The metal stars rained down over the area. Abel narrowly dodged a few, as did Sanji. However, Abel heard Luffy cry out in pain. No doubt being that close to the detonation, and in midair to boot, Luffy would've taken the brunt of the assault. Luffy hit the deck hard, holding his bleeding shoulder and legs in pain.

From the water, the pirates cheered for their captain's deviousness. "A shrapnel shell!?"

"It was just a trick!"

"Hey! That wasn't poison gas!" Luffy shouted as he stared at his wounds. Abel almost laughed at how offended he sounded. Like a kid did get a specifically requested present for his birthday.

"A little slow on the uptake, don'tcha think!?" Sanji snapped.

Krieg laughed at his own cleverness. Which was about as lame as laughing at your own joke. "A single poison gas bomb is enough to wipe out a small town. As if I'd waste it to kill you pieces of trash!"

Luffy recovered quickly enough, already on his feet. "I see," he stated, calm as could be. "He got me good."

"Indeed," Abel added. She may hate the pirate, but she had to hand it to him; he was clever. Too bad his personality left much to be desired.

"You two could try not to be so agreeable..." Sanji mumbled. Abel just ignored it.

"This is what a battle is!" Krieg shouted, as if they weren't already aware of it. "I've got more ways to kill you than I can count! Now I'll ask you again! Which one of us do you think is more fit to become Pirate King!?"

Why did he even keep asking? Because once again, Luffy simply answered, "Me! It definitely can't be you!"

Krieg looked ready to pop a vein. "Gin!" he all but shrieked. "You're responsible for killing that cook! But I'll kill this brat myself!"

Sanji and Gin faced off against each other. "Understood, Don," Gin replied. He met Sanji's stare. "Sorry Sanji, but you can't win against me."

Sanji chuckled slightly. "Took the words right out of my mouth." His posture looked relaxed, but Abel could feel the tension in him.

Krieg glared at Luffy from across the gap. "Damn brat... I'll demonstrate to you the might of the Ruler of the East Blue. You'll know soon enough that your strange power is meaningless before me."

"Keep talking," Luffy taunted back, unimpressed. He readjusted his hat. "I'll send you flying either way. I'll come over there right now so you just sit tight."

Krieg chuckled at Luffy's foolhardiness. "So you're stupid enough to try and come over here again, are you?"

"Abel..." Said woman looked over at Sanji's call. He gave her a look of concern. "You might want to step back. I'd hate for you to get caught up in this."

Abel raised an eyebrow. "Your concern is appreciated, but I suggest focusing on your own situation," she replied, nodding behind him.

Sanji's head snapped around to see Gin charging at him, his tonfas twirling with remarkable speed, given how heavy they had to be. "Here I come!" he growled amidst the cheers of his crew. But instead of attacking Sanji directly, Gin crashed the ball of one tonfa into the deck. Sanji looked puzzled, until Gin made a ripping motion, tearing a crack through the deck towards Sanji. Sanji jumped over it in time.

"Damn you!" Sanji retaliated with a kick, but Gin twisted in midair, ducking under Sanji's leg.

Gin smirked at the blond. "Allow me to tell you my nickname. The Demon." Whirling around, Gin pulled Sanji to the ground, pinning his arm under him while pressing the bar of one tonfa against Sanji's throat. The cook was effectively immobilized. Gin lowered his head, resting his free tonfa against his shoulder. "I don't have a shred of sympathy for you anymore," he breathed, his voice low and dark. "So long." He began spinning the tonfa not holding Sanji down around his head, plainly preparing to smash in Sanji's skull. "At the very least, I'll kill you without leaving behind a disfigured corpse!"

The pirates cheered on Gin, glad to see the tide of battle turning in their favor. "That's the Battle Commander we all know and love!"

"Pulverize him until he ain't nothin' but powder!"

But the cooks shrieked, "Sanji!"

For his part, Sanji seemed exceptionally nonplussed for a man about to have his face caved in. As Gin swung the tonfa down, Sanji spit out cigarette, hitting Gin in the face and making the man flinch. This slight movement released some of the pressure of Sanji's arm, allowing him to pull it under his head and swing himself up into a handstand, narrowly avoiding the blow. Good thing to, since it made an impressive hole in the deck. Sanji quickly lowered his feet to the deck before executing a mule kick to Gin's jaw. The pirate staggered back, but Gin quickly retaliated by smashing a tonfa into Sanji's ribs before the man could right his position. Sanji winced as his ribs cracked. Both men fell away from each other, temporarily stunned by the others' blow.

The pirates looked shocked that the fight wasn't as one-sided as they'd expected. "T-That cook landed a hit on Gin!"

"Y... you don't think even Gin'll be done in by him, do you...?"

"Just what are you fools doubting Gin's fighting abilities for!?" Krieg chastised. "You've all seen for yourself what he's capable of." Krieg watched his most trustworthy solider without a trace of doubt in his eyes. "Gin's a calm and collected demon. It's exactly because of that nature that I placed him as the Battle Commander. He'll show his true abilities in just a little while..."

"T-The Don's right..." his men realized, thinking back to what they'd seen Gin do in battle. It wasn't pretty, and they'd hate to be on the opposing side. "Gin's a merciless killer who doesn't even hesitate for a second in brutally slaughtering his enemies, whether they be crying or begging. That's why he's the cold-hearted Demon, without a shred of compassion!"

As Abel watched Sanji struggle to his feet, every movement send sharp stabs of pain thanks to his several broken ribs, she suddenly felt a prickling sensation in her back. Never one to question her instincts, she rolled out of the way. Just in time to avoid a rather muscular tail smashing into the deck where she'd been standing. Spinning around as soon as her feet hit the deck, Abel couldn't say she was that surprised to be face-to-face with Abimelech again. She had a feeling he'd stuck around. And he seemed to have recovered from the arrow still sticking out of his side.

The kelpie snorted, nostrils flaring as he glared Abel down. Reaching for her bow, Abel commented, "Most little girls dream of getting a pony for their birthday. Me?" She stood, readying her bow. "I dreamt of hunting down abominations like you."

Abimelech pawed at the ground before charging at her. He moved surprisingly well for a creature that technically only had two legs and had to drag his lower half. Wanting to keep some distance between them this time, Abel leapt to another chunk of the deck. Abimelech followed close behind, throwing himself after the huntress. Abel staggered a few times when the kelpie's heavy weight rocked the piece of deck she stood on. Vaguely, she was aware of Sanji's ongoing fight with Gin and Luffy trying (unsuccessfully) to run across the broken mast to Krieg. But she was too focused on her own battle to give them much thought.

As she jumped to another piece of deck, Abimelech whipped his tail out, catching Abel in the back. Abel felt the wind get knocked out of her as the blow sent her flying forward. Ignoring the ache in her spine, Abel managed to twist around, landing on the last piece of deck. But now she had nowhere else to run. Abel turned to face the snorting kelpie and he rushed to meet her. The deck wobbled as she stepped near the edge, and it gave Abel an idea.

With Abimelech bearing down on her, Abel started rocking the deck. She used her weight to push it down, slowly building the rocking motion up with each push until she was bouncing on it. She watched Abimelech closely, knowing she had to time this right if she wanted it to work. Otherwise she'd be in the water again, and the beast would have the advantage. She timed her jump so that she came down on the deck at its highest peak right as Abimelech jumped towards her. Her weight pushed the deck down, bringing the side closest to the kelpie up. Abimelech landed on the peak with all his weight, which was exactly what Abel wanted. The heavy weight pushed the far side of the deck down, literally catapulting Abel into the air. Abimelech let out a whinny of surprise as his prey escaped.

Flying through the air, Abel allowed herself to flip upside down. But she had to act before Abimelech could gather his wits. Nocking an arrow, she took aim and fired. Her arrow hits its mark, piercing through Abimelech's temple. The kelpie let out a short shriek before slumping against the deck. There was no escape this time. Feeling a rush of satisfaction, Abel quickly swung her feet down so that she landed properly on the railing of the second story of the Baratie. She turned and stared down at the lifeless monster's body. Two... two monsters defeated by her own hands. Abel didn't even try to keep the grin off her face, even though she suspected it made her look a bit crazy.

"She… she killed Abimelech!" the pirates shouted in disbelief.

"What kind of person can kill a monster!?"

Sanji's pained cry pulled Abel from her mental celebration, reminding her that despite her personal victory, the battle was far from decided. From her vantage point, she easily saw Sanji in a heap on the deck, holding his side and coughing up blood. Gin loomed over him, his tonfas dripping with Sanji's blood.

The pirates quickly started cheering on their commander. "His bones are all cracked by now, I bet!"

"Kill him!"

"Damn it!" the cooks cursed. "If it wasn't for that shield-wearing bastard, then Sanji would...!"

"He's already received ten blows from those iron balls!" Abel was surprised the skinny cook hadn't broken into a million pieces then.

Sanji pushed himself into a seated position. But even from that distance, Abel saw the tremors running through his entire body. Sanji tried to laugh it off, but that just made him wince. "Those... skewered dango of yours ain't... so great... you... small fry." Abel would've rolled her eyes at his attitude if she didn't do the same thing. Deflecting from how she really felt... it was a defense mechanism.

Gin twirled both of his tonfas like they were batons. "Time to put an end to this!" he announced, running towards Sanji full-tilt. "Don't bother struggling anymore! Die, Sanji!"

In spite of his injuries, however, Sanji threw himself sideways into a handstand, the tonfa barely missing his torso. From his upside-down position, Sanji snarled, "Were you going easy on me just now or what!? To hell with you!" He smashed his leg down on the back of Gin's neck, slamming the pirate's face into the deck. But the attack seemed to do just as much damage to Sanji, as the man grimaced before curling in on himself, hugging his arms to his stomach.

"Sanji!" Patty screamed.

"It's reckless to fight like that with broken ribs," Abel observed, crouching on the railing, still holding her bow loosely.

Below her, Zeff nodded solemnly. "With his broken ribs, he can't withstand to shock of his own kicks."

Gin dislodged his face from the deck. "Die..." he breathed before staggering over to Sanji. With his foot, he rolled the blond over onto his back and leaned over him. Holding Sanji by the throat, he held a tonfa aloft.

Sanji didn't even have the strength to struggle anymore. But that didn't prevent him from cursing, "You son of a..."

Abel nocked an arrow, aiming at Gin. Or least his tonfa. Hey, if Krieg believed only victory mattered, then why should she play fair? But as it turned out, she didn't need to intervene. Because before she could even line up the shot properly, Gin threw his tonfa down. "I just can't, Don Krieg!" he shouted, almost choking on his tears.

A stunned silence engulfed the area. Until Krieg asked, "What?" Even Sanji looked dumbfounded.

"Gin..." Luffy breathed.

Gin fell to his hands and knees, tears dripping from his face to the deck. "I simply can't kill this man!" he shouted.

"What did you just say!?" Krieg growled, Gin's words finally sinking in.

"Because..." Gin choked out.

Krieg interrupted him. "Say that to me one more time!" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

Gin held his head. "I've never been treated so kindly by another person in my entire life!" he sobbed. He remembered how Sanji had so selflessly fed him when he was sure he was going to die. He saved him and didn't ask for anything in return. It didn't matter to Sanji who he was or what he'd done. How could he repay that with death? "That's why... I just can't kill this man!"

Krieg ground his teeth, glaring darkly at Gin. "Coward!" he growled.

None of the other pirates could believe it. "I-It can't be... Don!?"

Abel watched warily as Krieg's free hand moved to the arm still holding that pauldron-cannon. If looks alone could kill, Gin would be a pile of ash of the deck from Krieg's glare. "You can't kill him?" Krieg spit out. "That's quite disappointing, Gin. I always believed you to be my most loyal subordinate, who could adhere to my philosophy of war more than anyone else. The reason why I placed you as the Battle Commander of my pirate fleet of fifty ships is because your abilities, as well as your willingness to win by any means no matter how vile or despicable, were greater than that of any of my subordinates!"

"I know, Don," Gin agreed, not able to bring himself to even look at his captain. "I really have no intention of betraying you, nor do I regret anything I've done. I deeply admire your strength, Don. You could even say I'm grateful. But... I just can't bring myself to kill this man!" Slowly, fearfully, Gin tilted his head to Krieg. "Don Krieg! If it's possible... if there's the slightest chance possible... could we please... let this ship go...?"

Abel didn't need to see or hear the pirates' reaction to know this request would only infuriate them further. But she tensed all the same when Krieg raised his cannon again. And this time she didn't expect it to be a feint. "You, my most loyal subordinate, dare defy my orders!?" Krieg all but shrieked. "Have you gone completely out of your mind, Gin!?"

"Aghhhh! It's the MH5!"

"Put on your masks! This time, it's for real!" The pirates were already taking precautions.

Down on the deck, Luffy glared at Krieg. "Why that bastard..." Though Abel couldn't say if his anger was at Krieg's incoming attack or the way he was talking about his comrade.

To his credit, Gin didn't give up. "But Don!" he pleaded, trying to reason with him. "We were saved because of this restaurant!"

"Throw away your gas mask, Gin," Krieg ordered darkly. "You're no longer one of my crew."

His words chilled Gin to his core. "What...!? Don... Krieg..." He realized that Krieg had essentially just ordered him to his death.

Even his fellow pirates seemed stunned by this turn. "The Don's really planning on killing even Gin!"

"What!? That's impossible! Gin's his right-hand man!"

"That's right. There's not a single man who's more loyal to the Don than Gin."

"I guess there's no retirement plan for being a pirate, huh?" Abel mused.

"This is no time to be joking!" Patty yelled at her. Abel just raised an eyebrow.

The pirates continued to talk amongst themselves. "Even during that time too! Back when we just escaped the Grand Line only to be ambushed by Fullbody... Gin went alone, disguised as our Don, and lured the Marines away! He's a man who always risked his life fighting for the Don's sake."

"A man who became even a demon to carry out the Don's orders! There's just no way Don Krieg could kill a man like Gin!"

But Abel knew they were wrong. A man like Krieg, who cared nothing for things like honor, only valued his subordinates so long as they did what he said. He viewed them as nothing more than tools, to be thrown away when they were no longer useful. Abel mentally sighed. _Why can't we run into honorable pirates? Then again, if such pirates did exist, they wouldn't have any beef with us, so we'd never be in this situation._

"Throw away your mask!" Krieg again ordered. And like the tool he was, Gin was actually going to do it!

"You know, Gin," Abel called down. "Since he's excommunicated you from his crew, Krieg's not your captain anymore, so technically you don't have to follow his orders." Gin just stared at her blankly, as if the words didn't penetrate that thick skull of his.

Fortunately, Luffy decided now was a good time to intervene. He was already running down the mast towards Krieg. "As if I'd let you fire your poison gas bomb!"

"Nuisance!" Krieg shouted, turning his aim to Luffy. The sides of his pauldron opened and he fired several volleys of spikes at Luffy.

But Luffy must've been expecting them, because he shimmied down to the bottom of the mast. "I won't fall for that trick twice!" Abel assumed that was how Krieg repelled Luffy's last attack. From the underside of the mast, Luffy scurried along like a spider.

Krieg was quickly losing his patient with the boy. "That anchor boy... I told you I'd kill you in due time, didn't I!?" Using his diamond-plated fist, Krieg punched the mast, breaking it where it rested against the deck.

With no support on either end, the mast began to fall into the water. "Aghhh! It's sinking!" Luffy climbed back to the top, but Krieg was waiting. He fired more spikes at Luffy. Had they been bullets, Luffy could've handled them. But spikes pierced him as easily as a normal person. Luffy screamed as he ran back to the "safe" side of the deck. He cursed as he fell onto the deck before flipping around the glare at Krieg. "Gin!" Luffy called, his voice thick with rage. "There's no need to listen to a big coward like him! I'll send him flying this instant!"

"Chore boy..." Sanji murmured, still lying prone on the deck. For such a simple fool, Luffy's drive could... intimidating.

"Straw Hat! Don't you dare insult Don Krieg!" Out of all the people who could jump to the pirate's defense, Gin should be the very last. But even after ordering him to his death, the fool still respected the captain. "Don Krieg is the strongest man. You don't have a chance of beating him."

"Hey! Open your eyes already!" Sanji snapped, grabbing Gin by the shoulder and giving him a good shake. Hopefully to clear those cobwebs from the man's brain. "That man is trying to kill you!"

Gin's response was resolute, as steady as a rock. "Of course he is. I'm just a failure who broke his crew's code of law because his compassions got in the way. This is what I deserve!" And with that, he tossed his gas mask into the sea.

Sanji's eyes nearly popped out. "What!? Why!?"

"Lethal Poison Gas Bomb! MH5!" Krieg fired the missile towards the ship. And even though it looked identical to the previous feint, Abel knew this was the real thing.

The pirates put on their gas masks while the cooks dived into the water. Abel prepared to follow suit, as it was the only thing she could think of to keep from inhaling the gas. "Abel!" She jumped slightly in surprise at the mask heading straight for face. Snagging it from the air, she saw Luffy on the deck below with two other masks, on in his hand and one between his teeth. He threw those to Sanji and Gin. "Use these!"

"Appreciated, Boss," Abel thanked before securing the mask over her face.

Just in time, too, as the missile hit the deck and exploded, engulfing the ship in a cloud of noxious green smoke. Even with the mask on, it was still a scary experience. Nothing but silence and green fog surrounded her. If she tried hard enough, Abel could convince herself that she was alone in some alien world. The fact that there was only a thin layer of metal and a few filters separating her from death was an unnerving thought, even for her. But since the mask was the same one they pirates used, she knew she'd be okay. Krieg wouldn't want to kill of his "loyal" tools.

Far too slowly for Abel's liking, the wind carried to gas away. It cleared near her fastest, giving her a better view of what was going on below. Most of the cooks were at a safe distance in the ocean. She was certain that Patty, Carne and Zeff had fled inside the restaurant. As the gas cleared from the deck last, she saw Luffy lying on his stomach, clutching a mask to his face. The last of the gas cleared from the two figures at the middle of the deck. Gin knelt over Sanji, pressing a mask down on his face. However, Gin wore no mask at all.

"Gin!" Luffy shrieked as he pulled his mask off. "Where's your mask!?" Gin didn't reply. Couldn't reply. As she removed her own mask, Abel saw blood running from Gin's nose and mouth. The man wasn't breathing properly, and tremors threatened to overtake his body. "Didn't I give you a mask!?" Luffy asked, confused. But Abel remembered Luffy only having three, and she was fairly certain he would've given those to Gin and Sanji, generous soul that he was. So where'd the fourth one come from? Had Gin... given his to Luffy?

Gin collapsed, coughing unhealthy amounts of blood. "Gin!" Sanji yelled, catching the pirate before he hit the deck.

As the man writhed in the cooks arms, Krieg showed no remorse what so ever. "What a fool!" he guffawed. "That's what he gets for thinking he's eternally indebted just for receiving some grub." The man grinned, looking disgustingly satisfied at nearly murdering his own mate. As when she faced Kuro, Abel felt physically ill. "Well... idiots will never understand until they die."

Gin could only gasp for breath, but Abel suspected the tears running down his face were more from the bitterness of betrayal rather than physical pain. Sanji glared darkly at Krieg. "Gin... you chose the wrong man to follow!" he growled.

Luffy's temper boiled over. "KRIIIIEG!" he screamed with all his might.

Krieg didn't show an ounce of remorse. "Feeling sorry for that useless sack of crap!" So one minute he's Krieg's most trusted man, the next he's crap?

Luffy seethed with hatred while Sanji glowered darkly. "Useless sack of crap!?" Sanji repeated, not believing his own ears. To be tossed aside so callously...

"Of course," Krieg replied, waving a hand dismissively. "What else would you call an idiot who loses sight of his objectives and disobeys my orders? Seeing as how he may repeat his failures again in the future, killing him right now is how I show my love."

"You must've such a warm and cuddly child," Abel commented sardonically. Krieg was probably the sort who killed small animals. He had clear signs of being a psychopath.

Abel looked down as the main door to the restaurant burst open. "Sanji!?" Patty gasped in surprise as he and Carne came outside. They seemed to be fine.

Carne jerked in surprise at Gin's state. The man clutched at his throat as he struggled to breathe. "That Krieg's Battle Commander or whatever must've gotten a full blast of that poison gas!"

"Patty!" Sanji shouted to the man. "Don't you have some antidote!?"

Patty blinked. "U-Uhh yeah... I think so, but that's mainly for food poisoning... and besides, that guy's the enem-"

"Whatever! Just bring it over, now!" Sanji didn't care if they'd tried to kill each other. The other man just had a bad leader. Besides, he'd repaid his debt to Sanji by refusing to kill him and then saved him again from the poison. He couldn't just let him die.

"Put the mask on him," Abel advised. When Sanji gaped up at her, she explained, "His lungs are full of poison. The filter on the mask may help at least keep him from breathing the poison back in and ease his lungs." Without a sample of the poison, Abel couldn't determine exactly how it worked. Softly, she added, "At least we can make him comfortable..." She honestly didn't know if he could survive, and she didn't want to get Sanji's hopes up. Maybe if the man hadn't been so willing to throw his life away he could fight the poison off. But with him being so willing to die...

"Take him up to the second floor," Zeff ordered the two. "If there's even the slightest chance of still saving him, then that's the first step to take."

Sanji didn't mess around. After putting the mask on Gin's face, he yelled at the two cooks, "Patty! Carne! Move your asses!" The two wasted little time running over to help.

"Don't you dare die, Gin..." Luffy said. His voice took on that deep tenor that Abel only heard when Luffy was at his most serious.

Krieg scoffed. "It's futile... he'll only hang around for another hour of so."

Ignoring Krieg, Luffy repeated, "Don't you dare let yourself be killed by a guy like him! Hang in there with sheer willpower! Got it!? Because I'll send him flying in the meantime."

As Patty and Carne took Gin from Sanji's arms, Gin choked out, "N... no, stop... you can't..." A cough wracked his body. "... hope to... beat him..." With those words of confidence, the two cooks quickly hauled the man inside.

Luffy took a step towards the edge of the deck, but Sanji grabbed his wrist. He winced, clutching at his ribs. "Hey! Calm down, you idiot!" Sanji chided, even though he really hoped the kid could beat the living daylights out of Krieg. "Charging directly at him is exactly what he wants! You'll get yourself killed!"

Luffy shook off Sanji's concern and his hand. "I'm not gonna die," he said with steely determination. Without looking back, Luffy asked, "Abel, you got my back?"

Abel readied her bow. "As ever, Boss."

Nodding, Luffy charged forward. "If you wanna shoot at me, then go ahead!" he challenged. "Shoot as much as you want!" Because Luffy had ultimate faith in his crew, regardless of if they followed his orders.

"Fool," Krieg dismissed with a grin. "Nothing easier to kill than a worked up fool."

As he couldn't physically stop the boy, Sanji settled for grumbling, "Fine! Do whatever the hell you want...!"

Luffy jumped up onto the broken mast and ran down it, his eyes focused solely on Krieg. The pirate stood at the end, waiting for him. "I've heard that even monkeys learn from their mistakes," Krieg taunted, trying to rile Luffy up even more. Not that that was really possible. Luffy was about as pissed as he could get. "But I guess you're even dumber than a monkey seeing as how you're trying to repeat your mistake a second time. Ain't that right, Anchor?"

"I'm just bad at giving up, that's all," Luffy replied.

"The ocean is your doom!" Krieg threatened. "But if you try to jump, my spears will make mincemeat out of you! Beyond the fins of that restaurant lies your grave!" Krieg tossed out a line of small bombs, from what Abel could see.

Below, the cooks hinted at Krieg's strategy. "He's shooting his bombs again!"

"He's gonna make a screen!"

_A smokescreen, eh?_ Abel thought.

The bombs went off near the water, sending a screen of waves up in front of Luffy, obscuring his view. But Luffy didn't slow down, because he put his trust in Abel to keep an eye out when he couldn't. And luckily for him, Abel was in a better position to see what was going on. She saw Krieg raise his pauldron-cannon and fire a volley for spears. But thanks to the water screen, Luffy couldn't see them to dodge. Of course, when Luffy was this upset, dodging seemed to be the last thing on his mind.

Abel angled her bow and quickly loosed three arrows. They all hit their marks, knocking away the spears before they could hurt Luffy. But one did graze against his already injured shoulder.

Luffy burst through the water, completely unscathed. Krieg glowered impatiently. "Annoying little..." He raised his cannon again.

But Luffy was ready. Flipping onto his hands, Luffy stretched one leg up before bringing it back down to hit the water in front of him, throwing up his own water screen. Krieg brought an arm up to shield his face from the spray. "Using my own trick against me?" he asked, sounding almost like he was enjoying this. Luffy said nothing; he just stretched his arm back. "It looks as if you're going to stop at nothing to hit me!" The water settled, revealing Krieg's plan. He'd covered himself in a cape covered entirely in very sharp metal spikes. "Then why don't you try hitting my Porcupine Cape!?" Krieg dared him.

"That dirty son of a..." Sanji growled. "It's a spike-covered cape!"

"There's no way he can touch Krieg with that thing protecting him!"

Abel almost snorted. "He'd have been better off covering himself in acid, if he really wanted to stop Luffy." Sanji just gaped at the woman, whether it was from her casual remark or what she'd said about Luffy's perseverance, she couldn't say.

Krieg, naturally, was too busy gloating, already assuming he'd won. "You can't lay a hand or foot on me as long as I have my-"

"Gum-Gum Bullet!" Luffy pulled his fist back and punched Krieg in the face, spiked cape and all. If Luffy's regular attack was like a pistol, then this was like a shotgun blast. And even though she'd known it was coming, Abel still winced when the spikes pierced Luffy's hand. But at least he sent Krieg skidding across the deck. That should mitigate some of the pain.

Sanji's jaw nearly fell off. "What a reckless guy!"

"Aghhhh!" the pirates screamed. "Don Krieg was knocked out!"

They gaped as Luffy stood over Krieg's form. "What... what's with that guy!?"

"I've never seen the Don on his knees before, much less lying flat on his face!"

"That kid just punched our Don right in the face! Not to mention it was through that spike-covered cape!"

Luffy stared down at Krieg. "Now is this place really my grave... or your grave?" he asked, repeated Krieg's threat. "Mine or yours? Which is it!?" He held out his fist, full of holes but still steady, to the pirate. "But don't you dare decide that question just by these measly spears or that stupid spikey cape! This ain't the place for me to die!"

Confident that, now at close range, Luffy could handle himself, Abel jumped down from her perch to the deck. She followed after Zeff, who hobbled over to Sanji with the aid of a crutch, since he only had one leg now. "Talk about reckless," Sanji murmured.

Abel grinned as she stood beside the two men. "You haven't seen the start of it, yet."

"Watch him carefully, Sanji," Zeff advised, keeping his own eyes on the strange boy. A smile cross his weathered face. "There are guys like him every now and then. Idiots that fight to the death once they decide on a goal."

Looking at Zeff in confusion, Sanji followed his advice and watched Luffy carefully. "Fight to the death..." he repeated, letting the words soak in.

"A guy like him is the worst enemy you can face. Whether he wins or loses this match, I like guys like him."

Slowly, Krieg pulled his hands underneath him. "If this place isn't your grave..." Luffy watched carefully as Krieg stood, his back to Luffy. "Then exactly... whose is it!?" he shouted, spinning around and smashing his cannon into Luffy. The shield was almost the same size as Luffy, so that his arms and legs stuck out over the sides. "It has to be yours!" Krieg shouted, firing. And at point-blank it would've been devastating...

Had Luffy not already slipped behind him. "No, it's yours!" Luffy shouted back, stretching his leg out and catching Krieg under the chin. They both fell to the deck, but only Luffy landed on his feet.

"He... he knocked the Don down again!" the pirates gasped. The poor sods looked like their world was falling apart. Abel almost felt bad for them. Almost.

"The hell's going on!?"

"He should've been killed before he could even lay a finger on our Don! Our Don's supposed to be invincible!"

"Just who is he!?"

From her position, Abel could see Krieg getting angry at each doubtful word from his crew. Anymore and he might combust.

"He's definitely strong enough to match our Don... At this rate, the legend of our Don will come to an e-"

"Shut your worthless traps!" Krieg hollered, bursting onto his feet. He pulled his other pauldron off and slammed the two pieces of armor together, the Jolly Roger sides facing outward. He swung around to face Luffy, and for some unknown reason the deck exploded. Luffy let out a cry as he flew into the air, narrowly avoiding whatever had blown up. Luckily, he managed to grab what was left of the mast before falling into the sea. When the smoke cleared, Abel got a better look at Krieg's latest weapon. A blade protruded from the top of the combined pauldrons while Krieg held on to a staff from the bottom.

"It's the Mighty Battle Spear!" his crew exclaimed. "He took it out! The Don's most powerful weapon!"

Krieg sneered at Luffy, tossing his coat aside. "I look forward to seeing how long you can keep away from this, Anchor Boy." He grinned wickedly. "Unlike my earlier _measly spears_ that you could afford to take two or three hits from, this spear's in a whole 'nother league. Touch this and you'll be blown to smithereens!"

Krieg drew the spear over his head, like he was preparing to play one of those Test Your Strength games. _I suppose he is, in a way_, Abel thought. _But he's using Luffy instead of a bell_.

Krieg slammed the spear against the mast, causing it to explode just like before. Luffy threw himself from his perch to avoid it, but of course that put him over the sea again. Fortunately he had the presence of mind to grab a bit of broken railing, pulling himself to the safety of one of the floating bits of ship. "What's up with that spear?" Luffy wondered aloud. "It explodes every time it hits something?" Luffy looked confused as his knees unexpectedly gave out from under him, causing him to fall to the deck. Why did he feel weak all of a sudden?

From their safety, Sanji cursed at Luffy's state. "Damn... the longer the fight goes on, the worse off he'll be," he observed. "He's losing too much blood...!"

Krieg smirked triumphantly, certain his victory was assured. "It's the end of the line for you."

Luffy groaned in frustration. "Damn it! I can't fight at full strength by jumping across these little islands... Abel!" he suddenly called. "Got any ideas!?"

"Not getting blown up would be a sensible suggestion," she replied. Without a hands-on examination, she couldn't determine what it was making the spear explode. And she wasn't too keen on getting close. "So would dodging." Luffy blinked before realizing that Abel meant to dodge _now_. He did, and just avoided getting speared in the head.

Krieg followed after Luffy, batting at him relentlessly with his spear like Luffy was a piñata full of wonderful surprises to break open. Luffy kept dodging, but he was quickly running out of room to run. And he couldn't keep an eye on Krieg and the sea. As he neared the ledge, his foot slipped on the water-covered wood, falling back towards the sea. Krieg saw his opening, and swung low. Luffy jumped over it, but as Krieg followed through with his swing, bringing the spear about around in a circle, Luffy knew he'd fallen for a feint. "Die!" Krieg shouted, swinging the spear around with all his might.

But where there should've been an explosion, there was nothing. Not even the rubber boy. Luffy'd disappeared. "Whew, close call..." Abel held back a chuckle when she spotted Luffy hanging from Krieg's own spear. He must've grabbed it when it came close, going with it rather than being hit.

Krieg, on the other hand, was not so amused. "You little maggot!" He swung the spear overhead, flinging Luffy from it. As Luffy fell in front of him, Krieg stabbed the spear at him. It exploded upon impact, sending Luffy's smoking body to the deck.

"Chore Boy!" Sanji yelled, concerned. But Luffy wasn't out just yet.

Krieg approached the boy as Luffy staggered to his feet. "I ain't done with you yet. After angering me to this extent, there won't even be any of your remains after I'm through with you!" He pulled the spear back.

Luffy took the blow head on, being engulfed in another explosion. As Luffy collapsed, bloody and smoldering, Abel felt a twinge of worry for her captain. But she could see him still breathing. And she knew that so long as there was a single breath left in him, Luffy would never give up. He's too stubborn to die. Besides, her trained ears could hear the faint but very distinctive sound of metal creaking.

Of course, Krieg figured the fight was over. How many people could take that many explosions head-on? He gloated over Luffy. "Have you finally realized that the strongest man in the world is none other than me!?"

"Chore boy!" Sanji shouted. He made to jump up, but Abel put a hand to his shoulder, pushing him back down. None too gently, for an injured man.

As Sanji gaped up at her in disbelief, Abel calmly stated, "If Luffy can't defeat Krieg, then none of us would stand a snowball's chance in Hades. Besides..." She turned back to the fight. "If you interrupt now you'll miss the best part," Abel finished with a secretive little smile. Ignoring how cute the woman looked smiling like that, Sanji did as she suggested and turned back to watch the scene unfold.

The pirates' cheers turned to gasps as Luffy got to his feet, not looking the least bit tired. In fact, he was breathing out smoke... although that might've just been from the previous explosions. Krieg's disbelief magnified tenfold when the blade of his spear broke off with no warning. "W-Wha!? My Mighty Battle Spear is..." He glared at Luffy, although he didn't lose his shocked quality. Was that a twinge of doubt Abel saw? "You!" he demanded accusingly. "What did you do!?"

Luffy grinned wolfishly. "I punched it five times! Now get ready! 'Cause now that I'm on this wide open space, I'll send you flying!" Luffy glanced at Krieg's spear. "With the spear tip broken, that's nothing but a bomb on a stick! I've reduced its power by half."

"Is that what you think?" Krieg scoffed. "Considering that even a mere bomb on a stick can easily blow you away, I'd say that I still have more than enough power to win! Not only that, you're bleeding all over and even took two blasts from my Mighty Battle Spear. Seems to me that you're bluffing."

"Nuh-uh!" Luffy answered eloquently.

"He's right," Sanji hated to admit. "That chore boy should be in the verge of collapsing. With those wounds, if he takes even just one more blast from that spear, he'll be killed!" Sanji sucked in a sharp breath. "Damn it... with all those weapons and armor, it's almost impossible to beat him!"

Abel shook her head. "I'll be the first to admit that weapons can even the odds on the battlefield, but there's nothing I've encountered that's even half as deadly as sheer, indomitable will. And that's why Krieg, with all his fancy armor and gaudy lollipop, doesn't stand a chance." She chuckled then. "I almost feel sorry for the poor sod."

"As admirable as your confidence is... I don't understand what you mean," Sanji admitted. He didn't want to argue with a woman, but he just didn't see where Abel's confidence came from.

Zeff took over Abel's role of enlightening Sanji. "On the pirates' battlefield, where life and death are decided, the one who hesitates for even an instant shall fall to their doom." Zeff motioned to Luffy, facing down Krieg without an ounce of fear or hesitation. "Within that boy, if nothing else, lies no hesitation. Perhaps it stems from his complete preparedness to survive no matter what, or his conviction that fears no death..."

"Conviction...!?" Sanji repeated, staring at Luffy with unabashed awe. Abel knew that look. It looked like Luffy had another fan.

Back on the only other remaining bit of floating ship, the fight commenced. "Say your prayers!" Krieg growled, hauling his spear back. "From the moment you went against me, your death was set in stone!"

"As if!" Luffy retorted, sticking his tongue out. He jumped easily over the blast, grabbing the sails overhead. "Hit me if you can!"

"Damn monkey!" Krieg growled. When he swung again, Luffy swung up to avoid it, cackling like a monkey.

"I think he's having too much fun," Abel commented.

Simultaneously, the sails supporting Luffy snapped, as did the mast itself from the explosion. The mast tilted towards Krieg, but of course it'd be too easy for it to save them the trouble and crush him. Krieg just blew the mast up, avoiding any damage. In the air, Luffy tossed the broken sail at Krieg. "Useless..." Krieg scoffed, holding his free arm out. Flames shot out from a tube under his glove, burning the sail to ash.

"A flamethrower!?" Sanji exclaimed. "How many weapons does this guy have on him!?"

Abel had to nod. "He's like a living Swiss army knife."

Still hovering above the pirate, Luffy took a deep breath. "Gum-Gum Gatling!" Luffy rained down punches on Krieg, but to no effect. They simply bounced off his armor.

Krieg laughed as Luffy finally landed on the deck. "Futile! All attacks are futile before my Wootz Steel armor!"

Luffy stretched his arm before him. "And..." He ran at Krieg. "Bullet!" Luffy punched Krieg in the stomach, putting all his strength into his arm. Veins popped out, and his shoulder bled even worse than before. A strange hissing sound issued from Krieg's armor. But the man still remained unmoved.

"You insolent brat!" he yelled, knocking Luffy away with his spear. He glared darkly at Luffy as he rolled to the far side of the deck. "Absolutely, completely, utterly futile! As if the greatest armor would break from hundreds of punches from a mere monkey!"

Undaunted by his apparent lack of progress, Luffy stood again. "I'd say I'm just about there..."

He blinked in surprise when Krieg suddenly appeared at the top of the broken mast. Seriously, how many masts did that ship have left? "Can't you see that the greatest armor and weaponry equates to the greatest might!?" Krieg asked rhetorically. Of course, knowing Luffy, he'd dispute that. "And those who defy the strong are doomed to die, Anchor Brat." He dropped a handful of those small bombs again.

"He's going to throw those bombs down to destroy that whole platform! Run away, chore boy!" the cooks shouted.

"Only the strong survive!" Krieg shouted.

Blindly, Luffy ran up the mast at great speed, his arms stretching behind him. "Meaning me, of course!"

"You idiot, don't run towards him!" Sanji warned. "Get away! It's a trap!"

"Even if he realizes it, he probably doesn't care," Abel commented dryly. The fight had to be nearing its conclusion.

"Gum-Gum..."

"How useless..." Krieg raised his spear. "Because that's exactly what I thought you'd do!" When Luffy got in range, Krieg struck him with his spear. Grinning, sure the fool was dead by now, Krieg began, "There are some things that you can't overcome with willpower alone-"

The words died on his lips when Luffy appeared through the cloud of smoke, not the least bit daunted by the attack. The look on Krieg's face was priceless. "Bazooka!" Reaching the top, Luffy slammed both hands into Krieg's chest with all of his strength. The force sent the pirate flying through the air, separating him from his spear.

But even then, with his armor cracking, Krieg gloated. The man really just didn't know when he was outmatched. "Your attack was useless again! This is the extent of your strength! But I'll compliment you for managing to put a small crack in my armor. Now you can die happily!" By that time, the bombs Krieg had thrown hit the deck, blowing up everything left of his ship in a massive cloud of smoke, fire and sea.

"Chore boy!" Sanji screamed, fearing Luffy had been caught up in the explosion.

But Luffy wasn't the sort to just stand around to get blown up. He was always on the move. Indeed, he'd jumped from the ship before the bombs even went off. He hovered over Krieg as they both fell towards the sea. Krieg's shock immobilized him as Luffy prepared to finish things, once and for all. "Gum-Gum Bazooka!" Luffy hit Krieg in the stomach again, this time shattering his armor into tiny pieces... and probably his ribs... and maybe his internal organs, now that Abel thought about it.

Luffy smirked triumphantly as Krieg fell towards the water. Never mind he'd have to do something soon or he'd be joining him. A roar arose from around them as the pirates cried in disbelief while the cooks cheered for Luffy's victory. Sanji, for his part, looked dumbfounded. But in a good way.

But before Abel could offer words of congratulations to her captain, it turned out that Krieg wasn't as defeated as he first seemed. "It's too early for celebrations yet! You little brat!" Unexpectedly, Krieg tossed out a heavy net with weights on the bottom.

Luffy gasped in surprise when the net entangled him. "He's still alive!?" Luffy struggled as the net tightened around him, but there was no escape. Krieg already had a good grip on him.

Krieg laughed triumphantly again. "You can't escape from my iron net! Below us is the sea! The fight is over, Anchor Brat! All I have to do is drag you under and you'll drown to your death!" The man's face was almost maniacal. "The one who laughs last is always me!"

After some wiggling, Luffy managed to poke his arms and legs through the gaps in the net. The fight wasn't over just yet. "As long as I can still stretch my arms and legs, victory is mine!" Luffy growled.

Sanji watched on in awe at the way Luffy refused to submit to anything. Even logic. _He doesn't hesitate at all...! Not even for an instant...! How can he...!?_

Stretching his legs toward Krieg, Luffy spun his body around so fast that his legs wound together like a rubber band. He snagged Krieg's face between his feet.

"How can he keep on fighting even now..." Sanji looked over when Zeff spoke. Without looking at the blond, Zeff continued, "That's what you were wondering?"

By now, the two men had neared the sea, the waves parting as if to greet them. "Give me some support, you bastards!" Krieg ordered his men, who were just gaping uselessly at them.

"Y-Yes, Don!" The men pulled out handheld harpoon guns.

"That just won't do," Abel said. She drew her crossbows and fired, knocking several of the harpoon guns away. She aimed her crossbows at the rest of the pirates, gazing at them coolly as they stared back at her in fear. They must've remembered how she killed a monster. Tilting her head coyly, Abel drawled, "Put your big girl panties on and accept your defeat with some friggin' dignity." If the blue tinting their cheeks were anything to go by, they wouldn't be causing any more trouble for them.

Turning back to watch the conclusion of the fight (but keeping her crossbows out just in case) Abel watched as Luffy's legs began to unwind, pulling Krieg into a dizzying spin. Still trapped in the net, Luffy twisted his body, pulling Krieg towards him at an arc. "Gum-Gum Giant Mallet!" He smashed Krieg's head into the deck so hard it splintered what little was left. The man's eyes rolled up, and Abel was pretty sure she saw some teeth fly by. There was no way Krieg could recover from having his head used like a jack hammer.

"DON KRIIIIEEEEGGGG!" the pirates wailed.

On the opposite side, the cooks cheered, "WAY TO GO CHORE BOYYYYY!"

Luffy only released Krieg's face when the man slumped to the deck, unconscious. Then he himself fell into the water.

Putting her crossbows away, Abel sauntered to the edge of the deck. To no one in particular, she said, "I better go retrieve the hero. It'd be awfully lame to drown after accomplishing such a feat." Without further ado, she dived back into the sea, where she seemed to be spending a lot of time today.

Luffy'd sunk surprisingly far. Abel had heard when Devil Fruit users got in water, they sunk like a stone. They lost all will. Some people speculated that due to the unnatural powers they gained, nature (ie. the sea) rejected them. Abel couldn't say either way. Botany wasn't her field.

Abel extracted her captain from the iron net easily enough, the weights on the bottom having pulled the net open. Pulling Luffy out was like removing a pearl from an oyster. Wrapping both arms securely around her precious cargo, Abel made for the surface. She cast an assessing eye over Luffy's injuries. She wouldn't know for certain until she could examine him properly, but they seemed mostly minor. But the blood loss combined with the dip had sapped his strength. He'd be asleep for a while. But hopefully the salty seawater would clean the wounds and help them heal faster.

_First Zoro, now Luffy... am I going to have to retrieve Usopp and Nami from the sea before the day's end?_

Thankfully, Luffy coughed up water once they broke the surface, his breathing returning to normal quickly. Using one hand to pull herself through the water, Abel swam to the deck. Sanji was waiting for her, already reaching his hands down. "Allow me to relieve the lady of her burden," he said. Abel felt like sighing, but handed Luffy up to him regardless.

Once he'd pulled Luffy up, Sanji turned back to offer his hand to Abel. But said woman was already on the deck examining her captain. Sanji rubbed the back of his head, feeling at a loss. Such a peculiar lady...

"Aren't I strongest!?" Abel's head snapped up at Krieg's shout. Was the man seriously still alive? But at a glance, it looked like he was more or less out of it. He struggled blindly against the men trying to hold him down. But even unaware as he was, he still had his strength. They might as well have been trying to hold back a raging bull elephant. "No one dares to go against me! I've won every single battle I've been in! It's utterly impossible for there to be someone that can match my strength!"

"Krieg!" Sanji gasped.

Abel almost frowned. "Will someone put this fool down before I do it permanently?"

Krieg swayed, looking more like a zombie than a pirate captain. "I win... and w... ill conti... nue... to win! I am the strongest!"

A swift punch to the stomach shut the man up for good. But it was more than somewhat surprising that it had come from Gin. "Don Krieg... we've lost," he stated calmly, catching his captain as he slumped over his shoulder. He seemed to have recovered nicely from his near death by poison, although judging by his labored breathing Abel knew he wasn't completely out of the woods. "Let's retreat for today and start anew," Gin said, directed towards the remaining men. He turned away, taking Krieg with him. "Thanks for everything, Sanji."

"Yeah," Sanji answered carelessly, looking away like a petulant child. "Please don't come again."

As Gin started to walk away, although Abel wasn't sure to where as they no longer had a ship, Patty and Carne burst through the door. They must've been pretty distracted for a near-dead man to escape them. "Hey! Did you forget you inhaled poison!?" Patty demanded. "Deadly poison!"

"And what're you planning to do by taking away the very man who tried to kill you!?" Carne added. Good question.

Gin didn't answer right away. In fact, his posture suggested he might not even have an answer. Instead he said, "Woman... you're one of his mates, right?"

"Yes," Abel answered.

"Then give him this message when he wakes up. Let's meet again, out on the Grand Line."

Sanji looked up in surprise. "You're... still gonna be a pirate?"

Gin chuckled humorlessly. "When I think about it, there's nothing else I want to do. I guess before I realized it, Don Krieg's ambition became mine as well-" A violent cough cut Gin off, blood dribbling over his lips.

"Gin!" Sanji exclaimed. Even though he should, he couldn't hate the man for what he'd done.

Gin shifted his feet carefully, trying to shoulder Krieg's weight with his waning strength. "I might... only have a few more hours to live... So it might be a bit cowardly for me to make this decision only at the end of my life, but it's still good for me nonetheless. I've decided that this time, I'll do things of my own will... in my own way. If I do that, I won't have a place to run away to, right?" Gin gave a raspy laugh. "Loyalty to the Don, my ass! All I've been doing is using the Don's name as a shield to escape and hide behind." When Gin raised his head, his eyes shined with a life that you wouldn't expect from someone who may be dead soon. "As long as you're prepared, things like being scared of your enemies or getting hurt are nothing but useless worrying. That guy over there taught me it's better not to worry about any of that stuff!"

Abel considered the pirate for a long moment. Now that he'd come to his senses, she really didn't have any ill will towards him. "If you're going to die regardless, might as well go out with a bang, eh?" she asked. Abel could understand his philosophy. Why wait around for death to find you when you could make the most of what little time you had left? Gin gave a tired, yet genuine smile, agreeing completely.

"Patty, Carne!" Sanji called to the two men. "Give them the boat we use to go out and buy ingredients." The two naturally opposed this, citing the fact that these were the same people who tried to kill them. And while Abel had to admit she was surprised by Sanji's generosity in the face of everything, she had a hunch that it was more from the two's natural hatred of Sanji that they protested so. But Sanji put a stop to that by snapping, "Shut up and give them the damn boat already!" The two whimpered before running off to obey, like whipped dogs.

The boat they gave the pirates was slightly bigger than Johnny and Yosaku's. And by the time all the pirates piled on board, it was a miracle the thing still floated. But at least everyone fit... except for Abimelech. Abel insisted they leave his body behind. What good would a monster corpse be to them?

"What for?" one of the cooks asked warily.

"To autopsy, of course," came Abel's easy reply. "How else will I determine fact from fiction? Now be a dear and place it in the freezer until I can see to its proper disposal."

The cooks looked like they wanted to argue, but were too afraid. Abel couldn't imagine why they'd be afraid of her. They glanced back to Sanji, hoping the sous chef would intervene on their behalf. Too bad for them, Sanji snapped, "Never deny a lady's request. Haul that thing's carcass into the meat locker." Squeamishly, they complied, carting the body away.

The duo faced the pirates once again. "Thanks again," Gin said, standing in the only place that still had room: the figurehead. "It's alright if I don't return this boat, right?"

Sanji smirked. "If you have the balls to come back and return it, go ahead... you weakling." The challenge was clear.

Gin returned the grin. "Some scary restaurant this is."

Abel could only think, _Men_.

_To Be Continued..._


End file.
